


The Word of Us

by sanva



Series: Life Mates [1]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bonding, F/F, F/M, Homophobia, M/M, Rating: NC17, Religious Themes & References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-17
Updated: 2011-04-16
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:10:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 54,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanva/pseuds/sanva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jared headed off to college he thought he was going to get an education and eventually mate with a nice girl his Mama would be proud to call her daughter. He never expected to lock eyes with Jensen Ackles and have his whole world turned upside down.</p><p>After spending a week with his family, mourning the passing of his grandparents, the last thing Jensen expected was to come home to his roommate in the throes of a mating fever. Taking the high road, he moved out. Unable to find an apartment at such short notice he found himself moving back into the dorms and rooming with a freshman named Jared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Art by SPN_2008 on LJ
> 
> Written for the 2010 SPN_J2_bigbang on LJ

 

Part One

 

 _“Thou shalt not lie with a woman or man who is not thy mate.”  
The Word – Levinius sec 1 line 4  
_

Going away to college was supposed to be this big, scary _thing_. Only it wasn’t, or didn’t seem to be, anyway. Sure it was a bit startling, not being at home with his parents just a call and a hop in the car away, but it wasn’t that bad. So far, anyway.

The drive had been a long one. It had left him exhausted and bleary eyed from staring out at the monotonous countryside for hours at a time. His parents had wanted him to just fly, but no, he had insisted on driving all the way from San Antonio, Texas, to California. The entire trip took him two days, all told, as he’d stopped for the night about halfway through at a cheap motel to get some shut eye—if he’d made the trip in just the 21 hours Google Maps had suggested, his mother would probably have boarded the first available plane just to throttle him.

Jared only slightly regretted his decision to drive, but any doubts he had were quickly brushed away by the fact that he had a _truck_ to drive, whereas many of his fellow freshman, at least those he’d met so far, didn’t. Plus, his timing was perfect; he’d made it to school the day after the dorms opened, which meant he not only missed the early bird rush, but also beat the late arrivals.

His roommate wasn’t there when he arrived. In fact there wasn’t even a second name up on the door. According to the information he’d been given, his roommate’s name was Lewis, but the guy had never replied to the half dozen or so emails he’d sent him over the summer, which had been slightly disconcerting.

Jeff, his older brother, had told him not to worry about that, though. Apparently his second roommate had done the same thing and the lack of communication had turned out to be nothing more than the guy not having access to a computer, thanks to his hard drive dying. He hadn’t even been able to afford a new one till halfway through the middle of the semester. The story had calmed Jared down a bit, at least until Jeff started in on all the reasons not to let your roommate touch your computer unsupervised—apparently porn sites and viruses had been involved.

He’d just started unpacking his bedding, after lugging all his boxes and suitcases upstairs—just his luck that he was on the fourth floor—when someone knocked on the door. It was open; Jared hadn’t wanted to start his college career being anything less than welcoming to his dorm mates.

“Come on in,” he called, twisting around to look back at the door. Since his roommate wasn’t there yet, he’d taken full advantage of the situation, taking the best side of the room for himself.

“Hey.” A scruffy looking guy, tall but probably a couple inches shorter than him, grinned at him from the doorway, eyes flitting around the room. “You must be Jared.”

Jared nodded and stood, dragging the sheets he’d been searching for with him. “ Yeah, are you my—”

“Roommate?” The guy interrupted him, stuffing his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels as he turned his attention to Jared, finally meeting his eyes. “No. I’m actually Misha, your RA . . . one of them anyway. Vicki, my mate, is the other, but she spends most of her time working with the girls on the other side of the hall.”

“Oh, cool.” Jared grinned, his interest piqued. “I didn’t know they worked it out like that.”

Misha grinned as well, his head tilting slightly as he stepped into the room. He slipped a hand out to run it over the top of the microwave and mini-fridge set that Jared had requested for his room when he filled out the housing application. “Depends on who applies, but there tends to be a lot of mated RAs. It’s actually required to have at least one mated pair of RAs in a dorm, so there’s someone with experience for freshmen to talk to who's close to their own age.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that.”

It made sense. Most people mated between ages eighteen and twenty-five. A few people did mate earlier, as it was possible from the time puberty hit, but the numbers weren’t very large. No one was exactly sure why, but the percentage of people that mated during college was extremely high. After graduation the numbers tapered slowly off to the point where nearly everyone was mated before the age of thirty-five. It was estimated that only five percent of the population didn't mate before thirty, and the programs available to meet other mate-less individuals tended to ensure the remaining singles mated shortly thereafter.

Jared had only met five people in his whole life, who were over the age of thirty and still unmated—a teacher at his high school, whose mate had died in an accident only days after mating, a great uncle on his mother’s side of the family, a clerk at the grocery store his family frequented, and two elderly women who attended his church back home. Most individuals didn’t outlive the death of their mate, but a rare few did, especially if the death occurred only  shortly after bonding.

Jared tossed his sheets onto the bed and moved to sit on the edge of the desk. “So, what happened to Lewis?”

“Lewis . . ." Misha rubbed at his chin before grinning even wider than before, if that was possible. “Lewis decided not to attend our great university in favor of waiting another year for his mate to graduate from high school.” Shrugging, he continued, “Unfortunately he didn’t deem it necessary to inform admissions about his new status till last week, so they’re still working on everything.”

“Damn,” Jared cursed playfully, snapping his fingers. “I guess that means I won’t be getting this room to myself then?”

“I’m afraid not.” Misha shook his head. “Not with the waiting list they have at the moment. You’ll have another roommate soon enough, although he may not be another freshman.”

Jared blinked, eyebrows rising in surprise. They tended to separate the dorms out by age more often than not. It was easier that way as the freshmen were mostly unmated. The number of mated pairs increased exponentially every year, with nearly half of fourth year students having mated. There were some theories that suggested pairing age groups together also limited the number of mated pairs between individuals of differing ages—especially those with  large age differences. It wasn’t something that had actually been proven yet though.

“When will I find out?” he asked.

“Tomorrow, hopefully.” Misha tilted his head to the side, turning it to look down the hall. “So you probably have at least twenty-four hours to make sure you chose the right side of the room.” Standing, he moved to the door, but paused and looked back. “Keep in mind the sun rises from the east and sets in the west.” He pointed in what Jared guessed were the corrected directions as he spoke. “If you don’t want to be woken by the sun, I’d invest in some window cling sun shades. The blinds _suck_.”

Turning to look at the window, Jared frowned before glancing back at the open doorway. Misha was gone, and there wasn’t anyone else in the hall. Sighing, he moved back to his chosen bed and began to make it, untangling the folded top sheet from the fitted one that his mother had folded around it.

 

 _“Mating is a privilege, an honor bestowed upon all but the most  
undeserving of souls. To have a mate is to be complete in the eyes of God.”  
The Word – Rhia sec 2 line 17_

It was just as busy in the dorms at night as it was during the day, or maybe more so. Around dinner time, Misha had come by and asked if he knew his way to the cafeteria. Technically, Jared did, or rather he had a map of the campus, but he accepted the other man’s invitation to join him, his mate, and a group of other students for dinner.

Vikki was adorable and very different from Misha. While Misha reminded Jared of the stereotypical ‘hippy’ from the free love era—the time when his parents were young and many pairs, both mated and unmated had cavorted together in groups, heedless of the natural order of things—in looks at least, she was his polar opposite. Everything about her screamed perfection, from her hair and makeup to her wrinkle-free outfit, there wasn’t a single thing out of place.

Misha had greeted her with a kiss, their hands slipping together, fingers interlocking. It was sweet, short, and barely more than a peck, but it caused a couple of the girls standing nearby to smile and stare wistfully. Even Jared couldn’t help but feel a small spark of envy ignite in his chest. While sometimes he wasn’t sure if he wanted to mate, at least not yet, and certainly not to most of the girls his mother had tried introducing him to, there were some moments where he couldn’t wait. Just seeing the connection between a mated pair made some part of him ache to have it as well.

Dinner was pretty good, much better than the high school cafeteria food he’d been subjected to for the last few years. The chicken meal he’d ended up choosing wasn’t quite as good as his mother’s cooking, but it was still pretty damn good.

He ended up sitting at a table with two girls—Sandy and Tracy—and two other guys—a soccer player named Justin and his roommate, Gabe, who was oddly quiet and rather picky about what he ate. Jared figured the guy just didn’t want to get anything stuck in his braces in front of the girls.

The girls were nice, adorable even, and easy to talk to, but he didn’t feel a spark with either of them and nothing happened when their eyes met. He was slightly disappointed—especially in Sandy’s case—but if they weren’t the one then they weren’t the one. It wasn’t as if he or anyone else had any control over who they mated with, it just happened when it happened. They all exchanged emails and class schedules, and Jared was happy to find out that both Tracy and Sandy were going to be in one of his general education classes, and Sandy was also taking Biology 101 with him. Gabe had a class with Tracy, but other than that neither he nor Justin had anything in common with them, classes-wise.

His first night in the dorm was different, a lot different from what he was used to. It wasn’t loud, per se, but it wasn’t exactly quiet either. He could hear doors open, people walking to and from the bathroom, the occasional murmur of conversation from other rooms—but nothing intelligible—and people yelling at each other down the hall. While Jared didn’t consider himself a light sleeper, it was a lot to get used to when combined with the traffic outside.

He’d shut the door around ten thirty and worked on putting his stuff away, not wanting to get distracted by people dropping by. He had a box of books and comics—mostly graphic novels, some Japanese and some American, a box full of school supplies and a box full of miscellaneous kitchen and food related items. His two large suitcases held clothes, toiletries, and a laptop. He’d already unpacked the box that had his bedding, towels, and the lamp his mother had deemed ‘breakable’.

His eyes were aching by the time he’d settled in enough to finally go to bed. There was so much running through his mind though, thoughts of the days to come—possibilities and worries—that he just knew sleep would be a long time coming.

It hadn't been until he’d gone to climb into bed that he’d realized something was missing: his pillows. That had spurred a quick trip down to his truck, only to find out that he’d left his pillows either at home or at the motel he’d stayed at the night before. Rather than make a trip to the store right then, he’d headed back up to his room and rolled up one of the fluffy towels his mother had insisted he take, mostly due to their large size, and settled in for a long night of staring up at the ceiling and the glow in the dark star stickers someone had stuck up there years prior.

 

 _“The bond of mating is eternal. You shall be bound to your  
Mate for all time, both in this life and the next.”  
The Word – Salacian sec 6 line 27_

Morning came quickly and much earlier than Jared would have preferred, but as Misha had warned him, the sun woke him up, making him seriously doubt his choice of beds. His neck was sore from sleeping on a towel rather than a pillow, and that was probably the only reason he actually got up at . . . six in the morning.

Groaning, Jared slipped out of bed and stretched. His back and neck popped audibly, and he winced, running fingers over the back of his neck, prodding gently at the muscles in hopes of getting some relief. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he glanced around the room, eyes landing on the informational note that someone—probably Misha—had taped to the top of his desk. Apparently the dining center didn’t open till 7:30 this week. Next week, once classes started, however, it’d be open at six, bright and early, just in time for bleary eyed students to grab their grub and caffeinate before trudging off to their first day of class.

Throwing on a clean pair of pants—the ones he’d been wearing yesterday were the same ones he’d worn the entire car ride from San Antonio—he pulled on a clean shirt, stuffed his feet into his shoes, and grabbed his wallet and keys. There was a Wal-Mart and a shopping center about twenty to thirty minutes away according to Google Maps and, by the time he got there, most of the shops would probably be open.

While his mother had done her best to make sure he was prepared for life away from home, there were still a few things he needed to pick up. Other than a pillow or three, he needed to buy some large buckets or cinder blocks to elevate his bed, something to block out the sun, some cleaning supplies, a fan, and an extension cord.

The halls were pretty much empty, although he could hear a shower running when he walked past the communal bathrooms. He took the elevator for once, figuring it was probably early enough there wasn’t going to be anyone using it yet, unlike the mad rush there had been for it during the day.

It took him all of five minutes, if that to get to his truck. There were a few people wandering around campus, including a few joggers—he made a mental note to figure out a good circuit so he could continue his own morning jogs at some point—but for the most part it was deserted. The weather was nice though, the sun was shining and there was barely a cloud in the sky.

There was quite a bit of traffic, probably people heading to work, so it took him upwards of half an hour—closer to forty minutes—to reach the shopping center. Wal-Mart was the only store open when he got there. It was off to the side of the mall, separated by a large section of parking lot. He parked as close as he legally could and locked up his truck before heading towards the store. The greeter that met him at the door was yawning but still way too cheery for how early in the morning it was.

He ended up getting more than he came for, but it was all things he’d need eventually anyway, including two new pairs of jeans and a couple of shirts—both with the university's logo on them. He figured it would probably cost him less to buy on them there compared to the campus book store.

They were out of cinder blocks, but they did have some heavy duty buckets. It didn’t take him long to find everything he needed, after all. The store was virtually the same as the Wal-Mart near his parents’ house. On the way to the register he spotted some storage containers, long ones that could slip easily under a twin size bed and hesitated only a moment before stacking them on top of his cart. His mother would be proud.

The only other place he stopped at was a Barnes and Noble, which was just opening. He perused the shelves for a good half hour and ended up buying the latest volume of _Bleach_ , a Japanese manga, and an American graphic novel called _Broken Connection_. He’d hesitated over buying the latter, teeth worrying at his bottom lip as he stared at the glossy cover.

 _Broken Connection_ was a mystery series with an edge of fantasy. It was about a mated pair who were somehow broken apart, separated physically, mentally, and spiritually, and another pair who were both male. Back in Texas, his church had ridiculed the author for the ideas he’d used in the story—from the broken bonds to same-sex mating—pointedly ignoring the fact that it was _fantasy_. Jared had found the summaries he’d read online absolutely fascinating and scary all at the same time. He hadn’t been able to sneak a look while living with his parents, but now that he was on his own he was free to do nearly anything he wanted.

His phone rang while he was waiting in line to check out, startling him and earning him a few glares. There were two customers in front of him, a middle aged woman, and a little boy he guessed was her son. Answering, he turned to the side, eyeing the rack of pop-culture magazines and the latest New York Times best seller books. They were side by side, a rather odd combination. As he answered his phone, his gaze caught on one of the magazines, its title proclaiming: _**Miley Cyrus Mates at 16!** To find out more . . ._

“Hello?”

“Jared, honey, did I wake you?” His mother’s voice was comfort and home, and, _God,_ he missed her. A smile tugged at the side of his mouth and he ducked his head a bit.

“Nah,” Jared shook his head, grinning, “I got up early so I could get some shopping done.”

“Oh, that’s good,” she ‘hmmm’ed into the phone. “I wouldn’t have called so early, but I forgot the time difference. Did you buy a new pillow? You left yours here. I didn’t notice till this morning, or I would have sent—”

“You don’t need to mail my pillows, Mama.” He stepped up to the counter as the woman in front of him grabbed her bag and her son’s hand and hurried off. Setting his books down on the counter, he smiled at the clerk. “I bought a couple at the store.”

“I’ll have your father put a bit of cash into your account when he gets a chance.”

“ _Mama_ ,” Jared protested, leaning against the counter as the woman in front of him pursed her lips in an attempt to hide her smile. He dug his wallet out of his pocket and removed his debit card and ID, holding them out for her to take. “I’ll be fine. I've been saving up for over a year.”

“And that should go towards enjoying your time at college and gas, not something that is a necessity,” she contradicted him, fully ignoring the fact that the only reason they had let him go out of state for school in the first place was the fact he had earned enough money to cover everything outside of housing and tuition on his own. He even had a work study position in the library already lined up to help offset the out of state tuition costs. “I don’t want to hear any arguments from you. We have a bit extra this year since I’ve been teaching summer school.”

Jared sighed as he signed the slip and handed it back to the clerk, taking his card, ID, and the copy of the receipt in return. He mouthed ‘thanks’ as he took his bag and headed towards the door. His mother was still chatting away in his ear, but he knew better than to spend any more time arguing with her.

“So, did you meet any girls yet?”

He rolled his eyes. As if she wouldn’t know the _instant_ he mated. It was a given that you would contact your family as soon as feasibly possible. There were forms to fill out and meetings to arrange in order to officially welcome a mate into the family. Plus, there was only a short window available for them to contact family and get things moving before a pair sequestered themselves off together to ‘get to know each other’.

“No, Mama.” Jogging across the street, he found his parking place not too far from the entrance. “You know I’ll tell you when it happens. It’s not like I could hide it from you.”

 

 _”Be ever diligent in your search for mating is not a choice.  
It is not an act that can be scheduled or rescheduled at will.  
You will find your mate at God’s chosen time and you will be  
overcome with emotion and enter into a fever that must  
be quenched. Mating is God’s will and oft occurs  
at the most inopportune of times.”   
The Word – Rhia sec 4 lines 2-3_

There was already a line of students checking in when he got back to the dorm. Rather than wait for the elevator, he opted to take the stairs, stuffing everything but the buckets into the storage containers he’d bought in order to make the trek a little easier.

The door to the room across the hall was open and there were several bags, a couple of suitcases, and a guitar case piled on the bed nearest the window. Jared peered in surreptitiously as set his stuff down and searched his pockets for his keys. There was no one in the room—they were probably lugging more stuff upstairs—causing him to wonder whether 'Chad' or 'Kris' had arrived.

Unlocking his door, he pushed it open and then transferred his stuff into the room, dropping it all in the empty space between the beds. He was still alone in the room, the other bed, desk, and closet’s emptiness a stark contrast to his already messy side. Flipping off the first container's lid, he began to remove things, tossing his pillows onto the bed and setting the cleaning supplies on his desk. Hopefully he’d be able to get organized before his mystery roommate ever showed up. Maybe that way there wouldn’t be any debate on who got which side of the room.

Around noon he finally stopped, deciding to head to the dinning center for lunch. The cup of coffee and sausage egg McMuffin from McDonalds he’d snagged while he was out had already worked its way past his stomach, and he was hungry.

“Jared!” Sandy grinned up at him as he stepped up to the counter at the section of the cafeteria that promised cheeseburgers, French fries, onion rings, grilled cheese sandwiches, and pretty much anything else along that vein you could think of. “How are you doing?”

“Pretty good,” he responded, returning her grin with one of his own. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he continued, “I didn’t know you were working here.”

“Today is technically my first day, but I worked at a food court back home, and we had training Monday. That’s why I got here so early.” She tilted her head, bouncing on her heels. “So, what can I get you?”

“How about a cheeseburger with everything and onion rings?”

“Sounds good, although you may want to get the French fries,” she leaned forward and so did he, in order to hear her lowered voice, “My co-worker, Mike, says this batch of rings sucks. They’re switching suppliers for the semester, though, so maybe in a week-ish they’ll be better.”

“Okay,” he laughed and straightened, nodding. “I’ll take the fries then.”

It took just under ten minutes for them to cook his food and hand it over. He found a place to sit near the long line of windows out front and made quick work of his lunch while watching people walk past. At this time of day the campus was covered in students and their families wandering about and trying to locate everything. There were a few groups of students wearing  Greek shirts handing out flyers, probably to social events, and a few booths set up advertising different clubs. Nearby, in front of the entrance to the library, a large tent was set up with rows of tables beneath. Students were milling about, looking at posters.

Finishing his lunch, Jared tossed his garbage and made his way over to the tent. It was indeed a poster sale and Jared grinned as he began perusing it. While living at home he’d never been able to put up posters, as his mother had been very particular about her home, and the decorations and items therein. Not to mention the fact that she’d been convinced they’d destroy the wall. Nothing much caught his eye right off the bat and, after an hour of searching through the dozens of books filled with movie, television, music, and art posters, he decided to wait and see what his roommate would put up before making a final decision. He wasn’t trying to match décor or anything; Jared just didn’t want to put up anything that might offend the guy or gain him nasty looks. That would be a pretty bad way to start off the year.

The walk back to his dorm wasn’t that long; it only took about ten minutes at the most. Misha was manning the front desk when he got there, and he called Jared over with a shout and lots of arm waving.

“Jared! Hey, man, good news! I finally got your roommates info,” Misha grinned at him, leaning over the counter and knocking over a container of pencils. A female student that had been filling out a form scrambled to catch the rolling pencils while Misha ignored them, resting his chin on his palm and leaning forward even further.

“Cool,” Jared caught a few of the pencils before they could roll of the edge of the counter and dropped them into the container the girl next to him had just righted. “What’s his name?”

“Jensen.”

A beat of silence filled the air before Jared ventured a question, “And his first name..?”

“That is his first name,” Misha laughed, grinning widely at his own joke, which wasn’t all that funny. “Last name is Ackles, A-C-K-L-E-S, he’s a junior who was staying in off-campus student housing, but his roommate mated over the summer. Looks like you two are in a similar predicament.”

“Lucky us.” Jared rapped his fingers on counter. “Any idea when he’s going to be arriving?”

Misha leaned back, taking the form the girl had just finished filling out. His eyes dropped to peruse it. “He and a couple buddies dragged most his stuff up there while you were at lunch. Emily, you still need to sign this and you _have_ to list an emergency contact.”

The girl, who was glaring at him, narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“You’re on my floor, the fourth floor, right?” Misha waited for her confirming nod before continuing, “If you break the rules and get drunk and fall out the window, we’ll need a phone number to contact your parents so they can get started on the funeral arrangements.”

“Ha ha,” She grumbled, snatching the papers back and hastily scrambling out the information while boring holes into the paper with her eyes.

“Is he still here?” Jared turned his attention back to Misha.

The guy shrugged, tangling his fingers together and resting them against the back of his head. “Could be. Might be. Who knows.”

“Thanks,” Jared nodded; sighing, he couldn’t help a small smile. He glanced back down at Emily before jerking a thumb towards the stairwell. “I’m going to head upstairs. I’ll see you later?”

“Gonna do another dinner run at six if you’re hungry and feel like joining us,” Misha nodded, taking the papers from Emily again, nodding in approval once he glanced over them.

“Sounds good.”

The door was shut and locked when he got up to his room. The only notable difference from the outside was the addition of ‘Jensen’ in what he guessed was Vikki’s handwriting on a green piece of paper cut out like a thought bubble—in comparison to his red jagged ‘action bubble’. Inside the difference was much more obvious. Jensen’s side of the room was still mostly clean, just a pile of boxes, containers, and miscellaneous items. The bed was already made though, mostly anyway. That had obviously been the first thing on the agenda for Jensen, much like it had been for Jared.

There was a laptop and a lamp on the desk, along with a pile of text books, new and used. Almost all of them were topics Jared hadn’t even considered yet—or likely ever would—with the exception of a psychology book that Jared himself had purchased online. There was an accounting book and an advanced biology book and Jared couldn’t make heads or tails of what the guy was likely studying.

Settling onto the floor near his bed, Jared pulled out the last box of his stuff he had left to unpack, his books, towards him, and started pulling them out, stacking them nearby. There was a small bookshelf between the head of his bed and Jensen’s desk, and he started organizing his books on the bottom shelf, alphabetically by series title out of habit.

He was almost done when footsteps moving from the carpet of the hall to the tile interior of the room alerted him to the presence of another person. As he slid the last three volumes of _Bleach_ into place, he turned, stood, and promptly froze as his eyes found bright green. And in that instant, as odd as it might sound, everything changed. _Everything._

 

 _“Upon meeting your mate you will be overcome with desire  
that will not abate until the flesh has merged in a matter satisfactory only to God’s eyes.”  
The Word – Rhia sec 6 line 21_

Jensen had always known he was different in some way. By the time he was nearing puberty, his parents had started talking about mating with him, and they’d started discussing it more and more in school. The whole thing had never appealed to him, well maybe not the idea of a companion in general, but the descriptions of mating and the life he’d have with the woman he’d be joined to for _eternity_ just wasn’t enticing. And sure, he’d wanted a family one day and to be loved unconditionally by someone other than his parents, but something about all the imagery that had been implanted in his mind through books, lectures, movies, and _everywhere_ had just felt off to him. He'd thought he might grow out of that feeling someday, but he never had.

When he finally reached high school his parents had started paying even more attention to him, mostly thanks to his older brother Josh. While most people didn’t mate till they were at least legally considered adults, Josh had mated at sixteen to the lovely fifteen year old Shelly Wright, who had lived just down the street. He thought his mother had been hopeful he’d mate with one of the girls from church or even school as they hit that magic moment in time where the ‘switch’ that allowed them to mate turned on, but that hadn’t happened. Instead he left home single, traveling thirteen hundred miles to another state to go to school.

There had still been the hopeful calls and emails, especially at first, but eventually they tapered off a little. His father and mother still asked from time to time if he’d been going to any of the meet and greets or social gatherings, even church, but they weren’t quite as insistent even more. Regardless, he still said ‘yes’, and painted a picture of an avid hunt for the one he’d spend the rest of his life with. The real answer though was no, he hadn’t been doing anything more than he absolutely had to. Jensen only went to the social events if his friends dragged him or he felt like going, preferring to just go about his daily business. And most of the time, thanks to his busy schedule, it was all he could do to meet his friends for lunch.

This year was going to be different, at least slightly. His grandparents on his mother’s side had passed on over the summer after his grandfather had a heart attack. It had taken all of  five days for his grandmother to follow her mate, just enough time for her to say goodbye and make sure everything was settled in regards to their will. While Jensen wasn’t enthusiastic about using the money that had been left to him, his grandmother had been quite insistent that he put it to use and stop working at his part time job in order to focus on his studies and “other more important ventures”, by which he knew she meant finding a mate.

When he got back from Texas that summer—his family was from the Dallas area—he’d been surprised to find his roommate, Jason, and a girl he vaguely thought he’d seen around campus once or twice, sequestered away, apparently ‘getting to know each other’. He’d spent all of ten awkward minutes getting a few things from his room and the bathroom before hightailing it to a motel to spend the next couple of nights.

The next day he’d started looking for a new place, preferably an apartment, but at such late notice there had been slim pickings and he’d been forced to contact the school and request to be added to the waiting list for a dorm room. Sure, he could have stayed in the apartment, but living with a newly mated pair wasn’t something he wanted to try out. Besides, the place was technically Jason’s first; Jensen was a year behind him, a junior instead of a senior, and he’d moved in with Jason after Jason’s previous roommate, Steve, moved out.

“Jensen, I’m so—” Jason started for the hundredth time as he dropped a box on top of the free, recently made, bed in the dorm room Jensen had been assigned to. Not only was Jensen in a _dorm_ after he’d escaped them his sophomore year, he was in a _freshman_ dorm.

“Don’t apologize.” Jensen cut him off with a wave of a hand after depositing a large suitcase next to the box. “It isn’t like you can control it and, besides, if it had been the opposite way around I’m sure you’d have gotten out of the apartment just as quick.” He quirked a smile at his friend, trying to reassure him the best he could and received a small grin in return.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jason nodded and laughed a little. “I’m still feeling guilty about getting you stuck here . . . you didn’t even get the good side of the room.”

Shrugging, Jensen shut and locked the door behind them as they exited the room. Tom and Jamie—who had lugged up the bedding and made his bed while the guys took the heavier items—had already taken off after the last trip up when it was determined there were only two more things to be lugged up the stairs, leaving Jason to help him finish up. “Doesn’t matter. I figure I’ll be out of the dorm again after this semester, maybe sooner if the guy I’m stuck with sucks.”

“Did you see the box of books he had? Looks like you got yourself an Otaku.” Jason grinned as Jensen shot him an odd look.

“I don’t think having a few books constitutes an Otaku. I didn’t even see any DVDs . . . and I’m kind of scared you know what that is.”

“And you knowing it isn’t?”

Jensen rolled his eyes and stabbed the down button on the elevator a couple of times. Either the button was broken or the light was just out; he hoped it was the former. “My freshman year roommate is the president of the anime club now. He was the _definition_ of Otaku. Still is.”

“Point,” Jason conceded as the door opened. They stepped aside for a guy and his parents to shuffle out, arms full of luggage. “My girl is slightly obsessed with a couple of series’. She made me watch this one, _Genshiken_ , about some girl who mates with an Otaku and his friends are all unmated perverts . . .” Trailing off he laughed a little, “She told me just to be glad she wasn’t like them!”

“So she’s an anime geek and you’re obsessed with music,” Jensen pondered, leaning against the back of the elevator. “Maybe you can get her to dress up—role play?—for some fun times.”

Jason slugged his arm, but grinned back at him as he got off, dodging a couple of freshman who could barely see around the boxes they were carrying. “What would your mother think if she heard you talking like that?”

“Well, it’s a good thing she’s over a thousand miles away, isn’t it?”

 

 _“As it is impossible for the bonds of mating to be broken  
it is also impossible for those of the same sex to be joined  
together for all eternity. Those who claim otherwise are  
blasphemers and will be punished accordingly in the next life.”  
The Word – Levinius sec 14 line 10_

Seeing Jason off hurt a little, not because of any insane attachment on his part, but because he was going to miss having the guy around all the time. One of the great things about being roommates with Jason had been all the impromptu jam sessions, and he’d miss those. With his luck his new roommate would either hate music or get pissed at him for being too loud. Besides, without someone there to prod him into playing he might not even get up the nerve to practice.

There was a line for the elevator when he got back in, so he chose to take the stairs instead, climbing the four flights with relative ease, although he was slightly out of breath when he got to the fourth floor. Jensen hoped that was something he’d get used to with time.

The stairway opened up into a lounge area and a few groups of students were hanging out up there, male and female but mostly segregated by gender. He scoffed under his breath and rolled his eyes as the girls all turned their gaze to him, roving over him with their eyes, examining him. Their disappointment was almost palpable by the time he slipped through the door to the hall where the dorm rooms were.

It was always this way at the beginning of the year—each semester really, although freshmen were the worst with it—people waiting with bated breath as they met their dorm mates for the first time, walked into the first class of the semester. Eyes were always watching, hoping, and wanting. The feeling of it made Jensen’s skin itch uncomfortably half the time.

His quick pace stuttered to a stop a few doors down from his room. Before heading downstairs with Jason, he’d shut and locked the door but it was open now and that could only mean one thing. His roommate, _Jared_ , was home.

Swallowing hard, Jensen steeled himself for meeting the other guy for the first time. The last thing he wanted was for them to get off to a bad start. Plastering a smile onto his face, and half hoping the guy would open up any conversation they would have by telling him he’d already found his mate and would be moving out to pair housing, he closed the distance to the door and entered.

His roommate was kneeling on the floor, putting away the box of books Jason had made fun of earlier. He was lanky but tall and Jensen had a feeling that, when he stood, he would be several inches taller than him. The sound of his boots on the tile floor, which had likely been installed for ease of clean up, must have alerted Jared to his presence because two steps into the room, Jared stood, turning to face him.

Their eyes met and Jensen found himself staring into hazel orbs as something shifted within him and around him. In that moment they both froze and just stared, eyes widening slowly at the exact same time.

What he was feeling, in that instant, was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. Jensen choked on air and spit, swallowing heavily as he took a step forward at the same time as the other man.

“Are—Are you Jensen?” The voice was confused but comforting, warm even through the stammering.

Nodding, his eyes never leaving Jared’s, he managed to find his voice, “Yeah . . . Jared?”

He received a nod in response and suddenly found that they were less than a foot apart. Jared was taller than him by a couple of inches, nothing too jarring, but he was young still, a freshman, and something told Jensen he’d probably shoot up another couple at least.

“What’s—”

“I don’t know.” Jensen lifted a hand, raising it up till it hovered just above Jared’s cheek. Everything inside him was telling him to close the small distance and _touch_ , to caress and memorize everything about Jared.

“We should—” Jared’s eyes darted away from his for the first time since they saw each other.

Jensen twisted his head to follow their gaze and landed on the open door. He nodded and turned, crossing to it in two quick strides. Practically slamming it shut, he locked it and turned to face Jared, leaning back against the door.

Jared was in his face, just inches away, staring down at him. “Is this . . .” he trailed off, eyes roving over Jensen’s features, searching.

His hands had a mind of their own, lifting up to settle against the planes of Jared’s chest, fingers clenching in the fabric. “I wouldn’t know.” Jensen tugged, unable to help himself, pulling Jared forward so he leaned against him.

Stumbling forward slightly, Jared ended up pressed against him, his feet framing Jensen’s, and their faces less than an inch apart. “We should talk.”

Jensen nodded, a nearly imperceptible movement of his head. His eyes met Jared’s again then trailed down his features to land on his mouth. “Yeah.”

“Fuck,” Jared mumbled cringing slightly at the end of the word, before leaning forward and slotted his mouth over Jensen’s.

Jensen had kissed before, once in high school. He’d gone to prom with Jessica Alba, the dance team captain. She had been curious, and he’d wondered occasionally what it would be like, so after the dance they’d pulled over on a quiet street and tried it. Their lips had been pressed together, noses bumped, and teeth clashed, and it had been rather uncomfortable.

This? This kiss with Jared, a stranger and a _male_? This was beyond a thousand times better than that fumbled attempt.

It wasn’t perfect, though, not in the sense that they were both great kissers. They weren't, and their inexperience showed. It took a few seconds for them to get the angle right, the pressure, and, when they opened their mouths to each other, it was a bit too slick. But it was wonderful, and amazing, and everything that Jensen had heard about.

And that thought scared him.


	2. Part Two

_“It’s horrible, living a lie. I’m not an actress and I grew up  
believing that it was better to tell the truth and face the consequences  
then to let it eat away at you. A lot of people think that I— _we_ —are  
lying now. We’re not. Believe me, if this wasn’t true we wouldn’t be  
speaking with you now. We’re not in it for fame, Renée and I just want to  
make life easier for others like us who don’t feel they can speak the truth.”  
Lucy Lawless, 1996  
Interview with the New York Times_

If anyone had asked Jared what the last thing he’d expect to happen to him at college was prior to this moment, he’d probably have said something like ‘getting a female roommate’ or ‘being invited to a party during his first week at school’. Making out with his very male roommate and feeling like it was the best thing in the world _ever_ and the only thing that mattered? Not even on his radar.

The moment he’d laid eyes on Jensen, however, any coherent thought he might have had left the building. He could barely control himself long enough to point out that the door was open. Once it was closed all bets were off, which was how he found himself pressed up against Jensen, not an inch of space between them, their mouths touching and tongues sloppily exploring each other’s mouths.

He was hard, achingly so, and he could feel Jensen’s hardness pressed against his thigh. Slipping his hands down from where they’d wrapped around Jensen’s arms, he dug his fingers into the skin of Jensen’s hips, just above his jeans, and began walking them backwards, following his instincts.

They broke apart for a second when they reached the bed, Jared’s bed. They were panting slightly, a bit out of breath due to inexperience and arousal.

Jensen leaned back a bit, his hands still clenched in Jared’s shirt. “Should we, maybe, contact someone?”

“Do you think we should?” Jared asked, pulling back a bit and frowning. His fingers paused halfway up Jensen’s sides, pressing into his ribs.

“Don’t think we can.” Jensen shook his head as his hands finally unclenched, slipping down Jared’s chest and over his stomach till they teased beneath the hem of his shirt. “Do you want—”

“ _Yes_.” Jared breathed as he helped Jensen remove his shirt and then Jensen’s. At least one of the buttons on Jensen’s over-shirt popped off, but neither of them could find it within themselves to care. When the shirts were gone, they paused, taking in the sight of each other.

Biting his lip, Jared settled his hands on Jensen’s hips again before skirting his fingers up his sides. Jensen’s skin was pale but healthy, his shoulders dotted with light freckles that teased down his upper arms and disappeared down his chest, practically blending in with his skin color. He wanted to map each and every one of them with his eyes, hands, and _tongue_. For some reason that thought didn’t bother him one bit.

Somehow, he wasn’t exactly sure how, they ended up on the bed, slotted together, Jensen mostly on top of him with a leg between his, thigh pressed tight against him. They were still wearing jeans, and it was slightly uncomfortable, but at the same time it was the best thing he’d ever felt. Jensen shifted then, pressing even tighter against him and whined low in his throat, breaking the kiss.

Dipping his head, Jared pushed at Jensen’s neck, nuzzling it, till the other man tilted his head to give him better access to the long column of skin. He could feel Jensen’s cock through the fabric of their jeans, hard against his hip and slid one hand down to cup Jensen’s buttocks, pressing them tighter together as he bucked up.

Even without skin-to-skin contact, it was more intense than anything Jared had experienced before. Not that he had much experience when it came to sex of any kind. The most he’d done was masturbate and watch a couple of porn videos on his best friend from high school, Chad’s, computer. This was ten times better than just his hand, even though there were four layers of clothing still between them.

The moment was over before he knew it, a moan curling out of his throat at the same time as Jensen, and they were both coming in their pants, relaxing against each other in the aftermath. Jared’s head flopped back against his pillow as Jensen’s nose pressed into the curve of his neck, harsh breaths panting warm against his skin.

“Fuck.” The word was barely intelligible, but it was whispered close enough to his ear that he could make it out. A hand clenched around his bicep, and a moment later Jensen lifted himself up a few inches. Their eyes met again as Jared tilted his chin to meet Jensen’s gaze. “What just . . .” Jensen’s eyes trailed down their bodies, stilling on the wet patch that was becoming visible on the front of Jared’s jeans. There was a matching one blooming on Jensen’s. “God. I can’t—” He cut himself off, drawing Jared’s attention to the freckles scattered across Jensen’s cheeks and nose.

It was a second before Jared found his voice, and he couldn’t help but agree with Jensen’s stammered thoughts. Nodding, he averted his eyes down to where Jensen’s fingers were clenching tightly around his arm. “Yeah. Did we . . . are we? I didn’t know it was possible.”

“Neither did I?” Jensen’s brow furrowed but his eyes opened again and Jared met his gaze. “How do we know, for sure? I mean . . . it’s not like I’ve ever—”

“Obviously.” Jared laughed a little, sitting up as Jensen pulled away and sat at the edge of the bed. “There are tests they do, I think. Can do. Just to be sure.” Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. “This is crazy.”

“Crazy _impossible_ ,” Jensen countered with a snort, running a hand over his face and through his hair before turning to face Jared again. The movement caused Jared to tear his eyes away from examining the freckles scattered across Jensen’s upper back. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. If we’re wrong what would people say and if we’re right . . . ?” He trailed off and Jared nodded, remembering the last, and only, time he’d ever heard of someone claiming they were part of a same-sex pair.

In the 1990s, two women, both in their mid-to-late twenties, had come forward to the press, supposedly upset about how they were being unjustly treated for not having mates. Only, in addition to their claims of persecution, they claimed that they _had_ mated . . . _to each other_. It had started a firestorm of debates and they’d undergone a few tests, but before the most important scans and medical examinations could be done—and less than two weeks after coming forward—both women had been shot, assassinated by a man who claimed God had told him to “free the world of the blasphemers”. While some psychological testing had been done that had initially seemed to back up the women’s claims, they were deemed inconclusive due to the fact that many officials claimed they could be faked with enough practice.

He caught Jensen’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers together without a thought. “We can keep it to ourselves, at least until we figure this out.” His eyes darted to the door. “We should probably change and get some supplies before the window closes.”

Jensen nodded and leaned forward to press their lips together. “One of us should run to a store and grab food and . . . supplies. Both of us going is probably a bad idea.” There was a light pink tinge highlighting his cheeks and it caused Jared to smile.

Leaning forward, he pressed their lips together for a quick, chaste kiss. “Right,” he agreed, moving to the edge of the bed and standing. He winced at the feeling of drying come in his boxers. “After a quick trip to the bathroom to change and clean up, I’ll drive to the store. You want to figure out things in here?” He glanced around the room. There were still boxes and such all over Jensen’s side. Plus there was the whole issue of trying to fit both of them on a dorm room bed, even if it was an extra-long twin; while it was not impossible, it certainly didn’t seem like it would be all that comfortable.

Jensen followed his gaze. “Maybe I can rearrange things . . . push the beds together?” He glanced towards the door and then met Jared’s eyes. “It might raise some awkward questions though.”

“We can fix it once the fever is gone.” Jared grabbed a towel and a change of clothes from his closet. Already he could feel something curling in the bottom of his gut and the back of his mind. “I’ll try to hurry.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Jensen nodded, shifting from foot to foot, eyes taking in every little movement Jared made as he headed towards the door. “Hurrying is a _very_ good idea.”

 

 

Mating: FAQs – Discussion Board > Questions > Beyond the Obvious

 **User:** JJPA – **Subject:** Same-Sex mates?

 

Hello, I’m doing a research paper on mating for one of my biology  
courses this year. I wanted to include a section on why there are only  
male x female pairs, but I have yet to find any real data regarding  
why same-sex mating doesn’t occur. Even the information I found  
discussing the biological reasons for mating between male and females  
is limited and theoretical at best.

I was hoping that someone might be able to point me towards some  
better resources? I‘ve listed the main books I’ve consulted so far  
below.

Thanks,  
JJPA

  

  * Daniels, Cynthia. _Apart But Always Together_. New York:  
G&I Inc., 1992.  

  * Shields, Mark A. _Together Forever: Mating_. London: Hope  
International Publications, 2002.  

  * Smith, Alice and Job Smith. _Mating: Everything You Need to  
Know._ Chicago: Illuminate Inc., 1980.  




I have also done extensive searches through _The Science of  
Mating_’s online archives. It’s possible I may have missed  
something there though.  


 

Jensen stared at the screen, fingers tapping against his desk as he refreshed it a couple of times. It had been less than two days days since he'd met Jared, two days of being wrapped entirely in the other man, learning and exploring. The second day they’d spent an hour scouring the internet for information while they ate, trying to make sure they weren’t somehow confused. Everything they read seemed to point towards the same, immutable fact: they had mated.

A hand settled on his shoulder, and he glanced up and up until he met his mate’s eyes.

“A watched pot never boils.” Jared grinned at him, squeezing gently. He hunched over to peer at the screen, his chin brushing against Jensen’s hair. “Did you actually read all those?”

Jensen shrugged, tilting his head back till he could press a kiss to Jared’s jawline. His lips brushed over the scraggly beginnings of a beard, and he realized they should probably go shave and shower again at some point. He probably had just as much stubble, if not more, and it always bothered him; it itched if he waited too long to shave. Plus, he wasn’t sure if it would be all that comfortable as they continued their exploration. “I actually did a for Biology 110, _The Biology and Psychology of Mating_ last year.”

“You took a class on mating, and you can’t answer some of those questions?” Jared quirked an eyebrow at him as Jensen shrugged.

“It pretty much stated theories as if they were fact, and the teacher spent most of the time discussing everything that happened _after_ you mated. We spent all of half a class discussing how and why it happens. Even then most of the reasons seemed to involve assumptions based on sex and religion.”

“It’s kind of logical, though, when you think about it.” Jared stepped back, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. While Jared was gone procuring supplies—which Jared said had been extremely awkward, and he hadn’t quite known what to get, since they were both guys and all, not for sex anyway—Jensen had rearranged the beds so that they were pressed together. It had made things so much easier, both in general for sleeping and for other activities.

“Of course it is.” Jensen refreshed the page again, sighed, and turned to face Jared, sliding the feet of his chair across the tile a few inches. “But it doesn’t explain us. I just can’t explain what I . . . feel . . . as anything other than—”

“Being mated.” Jared finished his sentence. He leaned forward and snagged Jensen’s arm, pulling it away from the mouse, sliding his fingers down his forearm till he could tangle their fingers together. “It goes against everything I grew up believing. Everything I was taught, too, you know, but I agree. It—mating—is the _only_ thing that makes sense.”

Jensen let himself be pulled forward and out of the chair. He could feel Jared’s want vibrating through him and, if that didn’t seal the deal on them being mates, Jensen didn’t know what would. Mating was something that had been described to him over and over, but no one had been able to truly explain what it felt like. It was one of those things that, until you experienced it, you just couldn’t know. Even in what had to be the beginning stages of their bond, he could feel Jared, his essence twining with his own. It was indescribable. They weren’t really sharing thoughts, at least Jensen didn’t think so, but he just _knew_ things about how Jared was feeling and Jared knew how Jensen was feeling, too.

He felt his cheeks flush slightly as he straddled Jared’s lap, feeling only slightly uncomfortable—mentally not physically—for being in that position. Years of _knowing_ this wasn’t how men interacted with one another were hard to erase completely, even with the fact of their bond coursing between them.

Leaning forward he wrapped his free hand around the base of Jared’s skull, sliding his fingers through the other man’s thick hair as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against him. Mental blocks aside, in the span of less than days Jensen had gone from feeling awkward and slightly out of place to feeling as if everything was right in the world. All thanks to a _man_ entering his life in the most extraordinary, yet ordinary, way possible. Out of all the mating scenarios he’d pictured over the years, none had felt as right as this—far from it.

Their noses brushed gently and he tilted his head so he could press a kiss against the thin skin beneath Jared’s right eye before pressing another below his left. He pulled back after that and ducked down to brush his lips against Jared’s, barely a touch and a slide of puffy, bruised skin against each other, before he sat back.

The tinges of arousal had grown, blossoming between them, and Jensen wasn’t sure how much of it was his own, and how much was Jared’s. He felt Jared’s hands slide from bracketing his hips, up his sides, to press against the skin of his back. They weren’t naked, not quite anyway. After their last bout of making out and heavy petting—Jared had even tried to give Jensen a blow job, but Jensen had come after just a few long moments—they’d actually managed to get dressed, or at least pull on some boxers in Jensen’s case and sweat pants in Jared’s.

The thin material between them did nothing to hide either man’s arousal. Jensen fell forward, his lips crashing against Jared’s as Jared tightened his grip. Their cocks brushed against each other through the fabrics, eliciting strange noises that Jensen hoped weren’t coming from _his_ mouth.

He rocked forward, hands brushing over the planes of Jared’s chest, skimming over the slightly puffy nipples he had paid extra attention to just hours before and a few light bruises. Jensen pressed forward, until Jared fell back, lying against the mussed blue and white comforter that originally had only been on Jared’s bed. His was already tossed into the corner of the room, along with the clothes from days prior, too messed up from earlier activities. Neither had been made to cover two twin beds pushed together, but they worked well enough. Jensen had done his best to make it so the beds fit nicely—although he’d had to remove the buckets from beneath Jared’s—and he’d stacked the blankets in a way to try and prevent the crack between the mattresses from being bothersome. They really needed to do laundry soon, though, as they weren’t exactly being picky at the moment when it came to cleaning up.

Jensen pressed a kiss to Jared’s mouth, tongue darting out to tease open his mate’s lips, running it over teeth and sliding it against Jared’s before pulling back. Saliva trailed between them, breaking once he’d pulled a few inches away and landing against Jared’s cheek. Not really thinking about it, Jensen lifted a hand and brushed it away, pressing a kiss to Jared’s cheek before trailing a line of kisses down to his neck.

Jared turned his head, tilting it just enough to brush a kiss against Jensen’s temple, the stubble on his chin scraping against his cheekbone, causing Jensen to dip his head away, further down Jared’s neck. He spent several long minutes laving the area with kisses and nipping gently, trying to do his best to avoid leaving a mark where it would be visible over the collar of Jared’s shirt before sliding further down Jared’s chest.

A hiss escaped Jared’s lips as Jensen’s thigh dragged over Jared’s dick, pressing awkwardly against it. “Hey, wait a sec, Jensen.”

Pushing back, Jensen rolled off Jared to kneel on the bed next to him. “You all right?”

“Yeah,” Jared nodded, reaching out a hand to cup Jensen’s head. He scooted back up the bed, sitting up enough to lean forward and capture Jensen’s lips again. “Yep, just needed to adjust . . . the end of the bed isn’t all that comfortable a place to make out. Especially when we have more room to work with.”

Jensen chuckled lightly, leaning into Jared’s palm, brushing his cheek back and forth against it. “We need to shave.”

“I don’t want to leave this bed.” Jared pulled him forward, grabbing Jensen’s shoulder with his free hand. “Not yet anyway.”

“We also need to do laundry.” Jensen landed against him, one hand splaying out next to his head while the other rested on Jared’s bare chest.

Jared surveyed the bed, teeth chewing lightly on his bottom lip before quirking a grin at Jensen again. “Nah, I think we’ve got a few clean spots left to dirty up first.”

“We better get on that then.” He smiled, ducking his head to plant a kiss on top of one of Jared’s nipples. While earlier explorations had deduced that it wasn’t exactly paradise-on-Earth, Jared did like Jensen’s mouth there. They were still sore though from previous activities and Jared hissed when Jensen pulled the nipple into his mouth, sucking gently and swirling his tongue around it.

Jared’s hands were caressing over his arms and shoulders as Jensen explored his chest, eventually leaving one nipple behind for the other. This time he gently nipped at it, causing Jared to pull him up roughly, framing Jensen’s face with both hands as he pulled him in for a deep kiss.

The air was practically crackling between them, arousal coursing through their veins and feeding into each other. Their hands grappled for purchase, caressing and gripping a bit too roughly at times. Jensen’s fingernails, short as they were, scratched at Jared’s back as the younger man used his slight height advantage to roll them over—not that Jensen was complaining. They ended up on the other mattress and Jensen silently prayed his thanks that he’d pushed the beds together.

“How are we going to do this?” Jared’s breath was hot against the skin of his cheek.

“I dunno,” He answered, pressing their lips together again. His hands roved over Jared’s back, sliding across skin that was already covered, yet again, with a slight sheen of sweat. “I know just as much about sex between two guys as you do. It’s not like someone published a ‘How To’ manual—”

“Shit.” Jared pulled back, shooting off the bed and towards the bookcase. Jensen had shoved it into the corner of the room where Jared’s bed had been along with some of the boxes and storage containers. “ _Broken Connection_ ,” He called over his shoulder as he fumbled through the books lining the shelves.

Jensen moved to sit at the edge of the bed, brow furrowing as he watched his mate grab a graphic novel off the shelf. Jared’s sweat pants were riding extremely low on his hips and, when he turned around; Jensen could see a damp spot of pre-come on the front and there was an obvious tent to the fabric.

“What?” He blinked, tearing his gaze away from Jared’s obvious arousal.

Jared strode back to the bed, a wide smile splitting his cheeks and causing his dimples to appear. Jensen loved those dimples and he’d expressed his love for them just a few hours ago. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on something that didn’t expressly involve _sex_ or Jared’s body. Needless to say, with Jared flopping back onto the bed next to him, it wasn’t working very well.

“I heard this book has some pretty graphic depictions of things like mates who’ve been split and same-sex mates. Might be our best shot?” Jared tilted the cover so Jensen could see it.

Jensen’s fingers curled in the soft fabric of Jared’s comforter, and he bit his cheek to keep from laughing. “You’re going to get sex advice from a graphic novel?”

To be honest he didn’t know anything about it, other than the continued ‘exploring’ they’d been doing for nearly two days. That didn’t seem to be quite enough—whether due to time or level of sexual activity Jensen had no idea—as their bond was still growing and didn’t seem to have snapped fully into place yet. Not that having sex right away fully consummated a bond according to what he’d read, but supposedly once you did the mating fever began to gradually calm. As of yet they showed no sign of calming, besides the short interludes following orgasm, and if anything their desire was getting worse. They couldn’t afford to still be like this come next week—not only could they not use mating as an excuse for not going to class, but someone would eventually come looking for them beyond their RA or Jason (both of whom had either knocked on the door or called).

Jared stilled suddenly, something that Jensen had rarely seen since the moment they initially met. If anything Jared was in constant motion, energetic and very tactile.

“Did you find something?” Jensen scooted closer, slotting himself against Jared’s back so he could look over his shoulder at the drawings in the book.

“You could say that.” Jared tilted his head so their cheeks brushed. His skin itched where they touched, and his stubble was a little scratchy, but Jensen ignored it.

The pictures in the book weren’t like anything Jensen had ever seen before, at least the topic wasn’t. He’d certainly seen similar pictures in the past—he even read a few of his former roommates novels and manga out of boredom and an attempt to find some common ground—but nothing of this nature. The page Jared held the book open to showed an image of two men engaged in a _very_ sexual act wherein one had his dick up the other’s ass.

Jensen pulled back, eyes widening slightly. “Where did you get that?”

“The adult section of the graphic novels at Barnes and Noble.” Jared shifted, turning towards Jensen, one foot remaining on the ground while the other bent at the knee. His pants were tented even more than they had been, his arousal very evident, and he used one hand to adjust his pants.

“They had this at Barnes and Noble?” Jensen glanced down at the book skeptically. “You buy graphic novel _porn_? And stuff that the Church has conniptions over at that?”

“Well, no. Not usually anyway. It's probably only available because it’s a big city and very open minded. Lots of college kids and all,” Jared shrugged, grinning sheepishly. He reached a hand out and rested it on Jensen’s thigh, just above his knee. “I usually buy things for the plot. This book just intrigued me. I’ve only ever bought two graphic novels remotely like this, and I had to be really, really careful . . . my Mama is really strict and basically obsessive when it comes to checking for anything that goes against the Church.” He paused then, and Jensen snagged his hand, wrapping his fingers around Jared’s and squeezing gently. Chuckling, Jared continued, “That was actually one of the reasons why I got it.”

Jensen smiled at him, watching the play of emotions over his features and feeling the inklings of them within his very being. He understood completely what was going through Jared’s mind. This wasn’t the first time over the past couple days that he’d thought about how his own parents, Jared’s parents, their friends . . . about how everyone would react when they found out. If they found out.

The picture Jared had painted of his family was similar to his own. They both had two siblings, ironically an older brother and a younger sister, and mothers who were pretty involved in their local church and the community. A good portion of their lives revolved around the idea of their children mating and continuing the family line. The only difference Jensen could really see was that Jared’s parents were a bit more involved—or trying to be—in the whole process, at least right now.

“We’ll figure it out,” Jensen told Jared, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into his body. The book fell to the side, bounced and slid slightly along the comforter before falling to the floor. The statement blanketed a dozen others, assuring and comforting, even in the uncertain future that was spanning out in front of them.

“Right,” Jared murmured, hands sliding up Jensen’s back as he buried his face in Jensen’s neck. A few seconds passed where they were just enjoying the feel of each other, their breath fanning out over skin and hands brushing gentle caresses. A nip to Jensen’s neck startled him slightly and he pulled back to meet Jared’s eyes.

There was a bit of mischief, and a whole lot of arousal hidden within the hazel orbs. Jared grinned at him, hands trailing across Jensen’s ribs, before they pushed at his chest, pressing him back into the blankets. Hovering over him, Jared spoke, his words wavering a bit, tentative for all that he was being rather forward, “So, want to see if the book gives some accurate depictions?”

“ _Fuck yes_.” Jensen shifted, bucking up a little as Jared settled a hand over his cock, squeezing gently through the fabric of his boxers. He blinked a second later, sitting up an inch or two, using his elbows for support. “Wait. Who’s going to, umm,” he paused, trying to figure out how to put it as a flush warmed his face, “fuck who?”

“I was thinking we’d take turns?” Jared’s fingers slid up and hooked around the waist of Jensen’s boxers before tugging them down.

Jensen gasped as the material dragged over his erection, automatically lifting his hips to help Jared slip them down his thighs. As soon as they were below his knees, he kicked them off, sending them across the room and onto the floor somewhere. Next to him, Jared was removing his sweat pants, baring himself completely.

If anyone had asked Jensen whether or not he’d be sexually attracted to another male prior to two days ago, the answer would have been a resounding ‘ _No_ ’. Although no one would have asked and he’d never had cause to think about it before now. It had just never been an option in his mind.

Now though? Now it was obvious that this was what he’d wanted, needed, and the idea of anything else—anyone else actually, female _or_ male—was just unappealing. Jensen guessed that feeling must have something to do with the mating process. It had to.

“Who’s first?” Jensen asked, voice muffled slightly as he pulled Jared to him again.

It wasn’t the first time they’d been naked together, hell they’d _slept_ together naked last night, but the tone had changed slightly. There was a nervous edge to the wanting that hadn’t been there before. Perhaps it was the fear of the unknown. The step they were about to take was brand new in several ways—the most notable of which being the fact that it wasn’t something they had learned about in school.

During middle school they’d both taken the mandatory Health and Mating education course. It taught the basics of sex and the mating process, although it hadn’t gotten too graphic in the details. The very thought of the class made Jensen cringe, mostly due to how the topic had been handled by the teacher. Porn, which always focused on a male and a female pseudo-pairing, had been much more insightful in the long run.

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Jared replied, pulling back from the kiss. “What do you want to do?”

Jensen’s brow furrowed and he stroked a hand down Jared’s back, stopping at the base of his spine. There was only two real ways this could go down and he wasn’t exactly sure which he preferred. On one hand he could do his best to make Jared feel good, and perhaps fail miserably, while on the other hand he could bite the bullet and be the one they tried out this position with in case it turned out to be a bad idea. Either way it was going to involve a lot of awkward fumbling.

Swallowing, he leaned up and kissed Jared, brushing their lips together before leaning back. “You do me.”

“Jensen—” Jared started, obviously feeling Jensen’s apprehension.

Jensen cut him off with a kiss again, shaking his head. “I want it. One of us has to go first. All this means is that later . . . or tomorrow . . . your ass is mine.” His hands slid down and slapped Jared’s ass lightly, the sound echoing slightly in the room. It made them both chuckle till Jared leaned down and swallowed Jensen’s laugh, kissing him deeply.

 

 _”Sexual acts shall only occur between mates. Any sexual acts prior to  
or while mated with other individuals will reflect on all parties  
Involved, including one’s true mate, come judgment.”  
The Word – Levinius sec 2 line 4_

Jared was really glad he’d thought to get lubricant and lots of it. If he hadn’t they’d probably have needed to resort to using something like lotion or shampoo and, while those might suffice for the occasional masturbation session, he didn’t think Jensen would have appreciated either going up his ass.

To say that the whole experience of having anal sex—yes Jensen looked it up later and figured out the correct terminology of everything, at least in reference to male x female anal sex, but still—was awkward would be an extreme understatement.

They’d made out for a long while after Jared snagged a tube of lubricant from on top of one of Jensen’s suitcases. He wasn't sure how it’d ended up there, considering it was across the room from the bed, but he didn’t really want to think too hard about it either.

After a bit of fumbling around, Jensen had decided to kneel on the bed, forearms resting against the comforter, much like the depiction of the character he was semi-emulating in the novel so Jared could enter him from behind. Jared had hesitated at the decision. He really wanted to be able to _see_ Jensen and to kiss him as they moved together, but in the end they decided that position was probably the best course of action since they didn’t really have another point of reference to go from.

What looked easy on the pages of the book hadn’t actually turned out to be that way. After slicking himself up, Jared positioned himself behind Jensen, hands smoothing down his back before resting on his ass, spreading his cheeks apart. He gazed skeptically at the tight ring of muscle hidden there.

“Jensen,” Jared hesitated, running one hand back up to rest against the small of Jensen’s back. “I’m not sure if—”

“Just try?” Jensen gazed back over his shoulder at him, cheeks flushed bright red and Jared knew it was mostly from embarrassment, not arousal.

Licking his lips, Jared nodded, fitting his chest against Jensen’s back and reaching between them to position himself. He took a deep breath, dropped a kiss between Jensen’s shoulder blades, and pressed slowly forward.

The move got an immediate response from Jensen in the form of a shout and him jerking away, flipping over beneath Jared and trying to back pedal up the bed towards where their pillows were haphazardly piled. “ _Fuck_ , that is just not right.”

Jared leaned back on his heels and bit his lip. He gently wrapped his fingers around his cock before speaking, “It does seem kind of—”

“Impossible?” Jensen’s eyes trailed down Jared’s body to his cock. “You’re bigger than me. I don’t see how you can fit . . . _there_. It’s like anatomically impossible.”

Brow furrowing, Jared reached out and settled a hand on Jensen’s ankle. “Maybe we’re missing something?” At Jensen’s questioning look he shrugged, “Well what about more lube and maybe we should work up to . . .” he trailed off, motioning to his cock. “So we use lots and lots of lube and, I don’t know—” he cut himself off, leaning forward, hands moving to trail up Jensen’s legs to rest on his knees. Squeezing lightly at the apex, Jared continued, “maybe you just need to be . . . worked open?”

“You sound like a bad porno,” Jensen wrinkled his nose, crossing his arms at the same time his legs stretched out, encouraging Jared’s touches.

“Is there any other kind?”

“Probably not.” Jensen grinned slightly and leaned forward as Jared reached for him. He sighed as their lips met, enjoying the kiss to its fullest. They were slowly getting better at it, but even the worst kiss they’d shared had been simply amazing. Leaning back he sighed, “Fine . . . but I reserve the right—”

“If there is epic failure I will lavish you with blow jobs.” Jared kissed him again before helping him get back into position.

This time, Jared coated his fingers with lube—thankful that he’d gotten a rather large container of the stuff—which had probably just added to his embarrassment at the store, but in the end it worked out. He pressed a kiss to the small of Jensen’s back as he used one hand to spread Jensen’s ass cheeks. Trailing the fingers of his other hand down the crack, he ran two fingers in a circle around the ring of muscle, gently massaging it. “I think you need to relax.”

“You try relaxing when it’s your turn,” Jensen grumbled, dropping forward slightly to rest his head on his arms.

Letting go of Jensen’s ass, Jared ran his hand up Jensen’s back, caressing it. He continued the motions for a moment before positioning his middle finger at Jensen’s opening and pressed it slowly forward.

Jensen hissed slightly, the muscles of his back twitching beneath Jared’s hand, but he didn't jerk away. On the other hand he didn’t really move either, at least not until Jared had worked his finger in past the second knuckle.

“You okay?” Jared asked, leaning forward to press a kiss against a dark freckle on the curve of Jensen’s ass.

“Yeah.” Jensen squirmed slightly then, pressing back and taking in just a bit more of Jared’s finger. He lifted up a bit so he could look over his shoulder. Their eyes met and the sides of Jensen’s mouth quirked up a bit. “It’s just a bit odd is all. Doesn’t really hurt though . . . not yet at least.”

“Good.” He leaned back a bit, his hand trailing around to wrap take hold of Jensen’s cock, sliding up and down as he slowly started to work his finger in and out, miming intercourse. After a minute, he pulled his finger out and added a bit more lube before pressing two back in. It was slow going, and Jensen flinched a little, but after a couple of shallow thrusts and incidental angle adjustments, something happened that changed Jensen’s entire demeanor.

“Oh _God_!” Jensen cried out, fingers clenching in the comforter as his hips pressed back against Jared’s fingers automatically. In his grip Jensen’s cock twitched, almost fully hard again.

Freezing, Jared realized after just a second's hesitation that it wasn’t a bad ‘Oh God’ but a _good_ one. Raising an eyebrow, he quirked his fingers out and then pressed them forward again, attempting to replicate what he’d just done.

Jensen reacted in much the same way as he had before, but this time he keened low in his throat and tossed a glance over his shoulder at Jared. Their eyes met, and Jared could read everything in them from the pleasure, to the want, to the _hurry_.

Nodding absently, he quickly worked in a third finger alongside the other two and was surprised at how easily Jensen was able to take them. And every time he hit that spot inside him, it seemed as if Jensen forgot all about the previous discomfort.

It wasn't long before Jared thought Jensen was _probably_ ready to take him. Three fingers wasn’t a cock, but he’d done his best to open Jensen up and hoped it would be enough. Slipping an arm beneath his mate’s chest, Jared pulled him so they were slotted together chest to back. He removed his fingers from Jensen and grasped his cock, adjusting it so that all it would take would be a little pressure to slip inside.

Taking a deep breath, he rested his cheek against Jensen’s back and pressed a kiss against his shoulder blade before pressing forward. Compared to his last attempt, it didn’t take much effort at all for the head of his cock to pop through the ring of muscle that guarded Jensen’s entrance. His mate tensed a little, breathing heavily, so he paused, returning his hand to Jensen’s dick, wrapping his fingers around it and tugging gently.

“You all right?”

“Yeah,” Jensen mumbled, voice rough, and Jared could hear him breathing through his nose. “Just give me a sec, okay?”

He nodded, eyes squeezed shut. If Jensen needed a second he could definitely give him one, even if all of his instincts were telling him he needed to _move_. But if Jared was honest with himself he needed the moment as well; the tight heat around the head of his cock was much different from anything he’d ever felt before. It was simply amazing and all he wanted was to press forward, so that more of that heat would envelop him. His entire being, mind, body, and soul, were centered in this moment and this act—in Jensen and himself. Everything else but _them_ had been expelled from his mind.

“Okay,” Jensen breathed out, tilting his hips and canting them just a little back towards Jared.

And that was that, just a little bit of pressure and just that much more heat was enough to send Jared’s world spiraling out of control. He came, spilling inside Jensen, arms tightening around Jensen’s chest and hand gripping Jensen’s dick tighter.

“Shit,” Jared cursed into the skin between Jensen’s shoulder blades. “God, I’m so . . .” Pulling out, he winced at the feel of slipping free of Jensen and the fact that he had come before even being fully _inside_ Jensen. "I should,” he motioned towards Jensen’s cock, biting his lip.

Jensen’s head was pressed into his arms and he wasn’t looking at him. His shoulders were shaking but Jared couldn’t feel any negative emotions coming from him. But then they hadn’t been together long and the connection might not be—his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Jensen’s chuckling breaking out into the air.

“God.” Jensen rolled over, flopping back on the bed to look at him. His cock was still hard, pressing against his stomach and shiny with pre-come. “We _suck_.”

Slipping from the bed, Jared snagged a towel, making a face as he cleaned himself off. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“Hey,” Jensen interrupted him, his voice void of laughter in an instant. “Hey, from what I’ve heard first times are never perfect. Considering our situation, I think we’re doing pretty well, don’t you?”

“I guess.” Jared turned in Jensen’s arms and lifted a hand to cup his cheek. Jensen leaned into it smiling slightly. He felt Jensen’s arousal then, pressing against his hip. “I seem to remember promising you a blow job?”


	3. Part Three

 

  
 **Sandy McCoy**  
Lunch? Dinner? Something that involves getting out of your room for a couple of hours?

 **Jared Padalecki**  
Sorry, not feeling well. I’ll walk with you to class Monday?  


Jared dropped his phone onto the ground next to the bed just before it buzzed again, announcing another text from Sandy. Ignoring it, he shifted towards Jensen, settling against the other man’s back. His body was sore in ways it had never been before, and in places he hadn’t thought possible.

“Who was it?” Jensen rolled over, turning to face him.

“Sandy,” at Jensen’s raised eyebrow, Jared elaborated, “a girl I met my first night here. We ate dinner with Misha and a few others. Turned out we have a couple of classes together.”

“Ah.” Jensen nodded, yawning slightly. “We should probably clean up and do some laundry.” He shifted a bit, making a face. “I think we ruined the sheets. Again.”

They really did need to do laundry, especially after last night. After their first time together they’d gotten better at it, and Jared was happy to say last night he’d managed to make Jensen come while he was fucking him rather than thanks to a blow job afterwards. The day after his first attempt at fucking Jensen, Jared had taken his own turn at being the one on the bottom. It had been odd and slightly uncomfortable at first, but after the initial burn of being stretched he’d adjusted to the feeling of being full and it had been amazing.

“We should probably get up and make our presence known,” Jensen said as he slid off the bed and stood. “We both could use a shower again, too.”

“I think my nose got used to the smell.” Jared quirked a grin at his mate. “’Cause I really have no idea what you’re talking about.” He yelped as a used towel hit his face.

“Right. Sure you don’t” Jensen rolled his eyes as he searched through his luggage for something to wear. “I really need to unpack.”

Jared watched him for a moment, just enjoying the view. His arousal had calmed down a lot over the past day. While he was still undeniably attracted to Jensen—and Jensen to him—the need that had overridden every other instinct had abated. Their mating bond, however, had strengthened by quite a lot. Many of the feelings that had just been inklings were coming through loud and clear, at least in close quarters anyway. “You think it’s all right for us to go out into public?”

“I think,” Jensen turned to face him as he buckled a pair of jeans over a fresh pair of boxers, “that the fever is over and we’re just back to being regular, horny guys.”

“Who happen to be mates?”

“Who happen to be mates,” Jensen agreed, crossing the room to stand over him. He leaned down and Jared tilted his face up to accept the kiss. It was still passionate, still heated, but the _need_ to pull Jensen down and ravish him that instant wasn't as strong. It was easy to resist, even if Jared didn’t want to. “And who start classes tomorrow and need to get shit done.”

“Think the washer will be free?” Jared sighed as Jensen crossed the room to grab a shirt and moved to get off the bed himself.

“Probably. Most people don’t run through a month’s worth of laundry in less than a week.”

“A month?” Jared raised an eyebrow as he tossed the pillows off the bed and towards the corner of the room that had become basically a catch all.

“I don’t know about you but I try to change my sheets at least every other week.” Jensen pointed at the pile of soiled laundry. “We got down to the extra of my _extra_.”

“But they’re _Batman_! How could they _not_ be your first choice?!”

 

 

Mating: FAQs – Discussion Board > Questions > Beyond the Obvious

 **User:** Angel_Gabe2010 **Subject:** Re: Same-Sex mates?

Most theories regarding mating revolve around hormones and pheromones.  
Dr. Pinehurst of Harvard theorized he right mix of both has to be   
present in each member of the pair at the time they meet for them to   
mate.

This explains how differences in ages and the fact that the majority   
of the population does eventually mate. It isn’t as if one person is   
specifically made for another. The timing just has to be right.

On the same token, this explains why male x male and female x female  
mating doesn’t occur. The hormone and pheromone mix would never be   
right.

(I referred to Pinehursts 1979 study on the subject of male and female   
pheromones in regards to mating.)

\--Angel--

 

It was inevitable that one of his friends would come looking for him. Other than a few texts and one very short conversation with Jason three days after mating with Jared, he’d been ignoring all of them. So it wasn’t surprising when, on the second day of classes, he pushed through the door to the fourth floor hallway to find Jason waiting for him.

Jason knew his schedule and knew where he lived, so Jensen really should have expected it to happen sooner or later. Still, he froze at the end of the hall upon seeing Jason leaning against the wall next to his room. He cursed inwardly, steeled himself, and continued down the hall.

“Long time no see . . . or talk.” Jason stepped away from the wall as he drew near. “You better have a damn good excuse because the only reasons I can think of for you ignoring me and the guys like you did involve you being pissed at me or you finding a mate.” His eyes trailed down to Jensen’s left hand, taking in the fact that it was still void of the traditional mating ring. “Since it’s not the latter as you’re not even wearing a temporary, it has to be the former and, dude, help me out here because I thought everything was cool between as.”

Cringing, Jensen sighed. He couldn’t explain the real reason for him sequestering himself away, but at the same time he knew Jason wasn’t going to give up and go away without an answer either. “It is, I’ve just been busy.”

“For a whole week?” Jason looked him over skeptically. “Doing what? Please tell me you haven’t spent this entire time buried in your books.”

“No.” Although, Jensen had to admit he probably would have if he and Jared hadn’t mated. At his short answer, Jason’s look just intensified, spurring him to elaborate, “I’ve been hanging out with Jared. My roommate.” He motioned toward the door where their names stood out from brightly colored construction paper. “He’s cool.”

Jason must have read something in his body language or face because he relaxed even as ‘skeptical’ changed to surprised and curious. “Wow, you really like the kid.”

Jensen flinched a little. “He’s eighteen not ten and sure he’s a . . . fun guy.” He brushed past Jason to the door, beginning to unlock it only to freeze before he even turned the key. If he went inside Jason would follow and it would be really hard to explain why the beds were pushed together.

The fact that he was frozen in place had to be noticeable and Jensen was sure Jason was going to call him on his panic when he felt a familiar presence nearby. He glanced up just as Jared strode through the hall doors, coming from the direction of the girls wing and the RA’s room. Jared’s last class of the day was Biology, so it made sense that he’d come from that direction as he had taken to walking with Sandy when their schedule lined up.

“Jensen!” Jared called, voice cheerful. His eyes were full of questions and not just about Jason’s presence, although it was obvious to Jensen he knew at least a little about what was going on.

He felt inquiry slide along his panic and forced a smile onto his face, doing his best to project the reason behind it. Their mating bond was still growing and it was still difficult for them to share more than just the basic emotions, not to mention the fact that it didn’t have a very long range yet either.

Glancing sidelong towards the door as he came to a stop near them, Jared turned to Jason and grinned. “Hey, man, I’m Jared.” He held his hand out and Jason took it, shaking it firmly.

Jensen looked on apprehensively, hoping they’d get along and hoping Jason wouldn’t be able to tell just how close they really were. He itched to touch Jared, to sling an arm around him, to bury his face in Jared’s neck, to snag his hand and tangle their fingers together—anything. Stuffing a hand into his pocket, he waved the other between the two men and cleared his throat. “Jared this is Jason, my former roommate. He’s the one that mated a couple of weeks ago.”

“Wow.” Jared grinned even wider. “Congratulations! I guess I have you to thank for Jensen being my roommate.”

“Or to blame,” Jason laughed and rubbed at the back of his neck as he glanced between them.

“Nah,” Jared slung an arm around Jensen’s shoulders, pulling him towards him, “he’s awesome.”

Jensen rolled his eyes but relaxed into the one armed embrace. It was the best they could do out in the open, and he wanted to revel in it. Jared squeezed his shoulder once and he felt the undercurrent of want beneath the gesture along with reassurance.

“Hey, Jen,” Jared started, causing Jensen to glance towards Jason. His friend just raised a surprised eyebrow. He never let any of his friends shorten his name whether it be Jen, Jay, or, God forbid, _Jenny_.

“Yeah?”

“Misha wanted to remind us, or me to remind you, that there is a hall meeting on the lawn out front in twenty minutes, and attendance is mandatory unless we have a class.” Jared shot an apologetic look to Jason as he spoke.

“Shit,” Jensen groaned, pulling away from his mate and glancing down at his watch. “I completely forgot. We better get going if we want a good spot.”

“You mean somewhere far away from any girls, right?” Jared laughed, patting Jensen’s back.

Jared grinned up at him. “You read my mind!”

“He knows you pretty well, already,” Jason chuckled.

“Yep.” Turning back to his friend, he put on his best sheepish look. “Sorry, man, guess we’ll have to catch up later? Maybe a jam session on Saturday or something?”

Jason was quiet for a moment before he finally responded, “Steve and Chris actually have a show on Saturday. Why don’t you meet us at the Connection at eight? They go onstage at nine.”

“Sure.” Jensen glanced at Jared who shrugged. “I think I’ll drag this loser along with, if that’s all right.”

“The more the merrier,” Jason nodded, grinning. He pulled his keys out of his pocket before continuing, “The gang’ll want to get to know this guy if you’re going to be spending so much time with him for the next however long.”

“There will be no hazing of my freshman,” Jensen warned as they headed towards the staircase. “He’s only eighteen, practically a baby.”

“Hey!” Jared’s protests were lost to the combined laughter of Jensen and Jason, and when Jensen slanted a glance back at him, he found his mate was actually laughing along.

 

 

Mating: FAQs – Discussion Board > Questions > Beyond the Obvious

 **User:** EE_Har **Subject:** Re: Same-Sex mates?

That’s a theory, which means it has yet to be proven. Don’t mistake it   
for being a fact.

There have been hormone and pheromone experiments and not once have   
they led to a mating between two individuals, no matter what the sexes   
of the individuals involved.

Nearly everything out there in regard to the way mating occurs, and why it   
occurs between two specific individuals is speculation and nothing   
more.

See here for my reference post and scroll down to   
“Hormones/Pheromones”.

 

Jared sat back in the desk chair, laughing. “So the best theory we have so far is that one of us must have been exerting female pheromones then?”

“Must be your hair,” Jensen chuckled, tangling his fingers in the long strands at the back of Jared’s head. “’Confused your body.”

“Ha ha. Very funny.” Jared turned his head and bit gently at the inside of Jensen’s forearm. He glared up at his mate, but Jensen ignored him.

“Scroll down.” Jensen reached over to settle his right hand over Jared’s on the mouse, but the younger man pulled his hand and the mouse away. “You know, _technically_ that’s my computer.”

Rolling his eyes, Jared complied, utilizing the little scroll button on the mouse. The next bunch of replies were nothing more than an argument between a couple of different users about various facts regarding pheromone research before EE_Har posted a reply to another user that got their attention.

 

 **User:** EE_Har **Subject:** Re: Same-Sex mates?

There **are** same-sex pairs, though, and that fact alone renders   
your argument moot!

I know you don’t believe me, and it’s obvious, from previous   
discussions, that you won’t even consider the possibility, but the fact is   
that they exist. They just aren’t out in the open for all to see as   
the Government and, more specifically, the Church keep them silent.   
They do so through any means necessary and because of that the pairs   
live in fear . . . most don’t even tell their family.

 

 **User:** CsKythE **Subject:** Re: Same-Sex mates?

Fuck off EE_Har. Stop spreading your insane conspiracy theories   
around.

It is IMPOSSIBLE for members of the same sex to mate.

Not only that, but it makes no logical sense whether you believe in   
evolution or divine creation.

Get a life and get a clue.

 

 **User:** EE_Har **Subject:** Re: Same-Sex mates?

Keep believing that. One day everything and everyone will come out and   
you’ll be surprised by just how many same-sex mated pairs there are   
. . . and by **who** they are.

 

 **User:** [MOD] TerriQ **Subject:** Re: Same-Sex mates?

Please keep the discussion to the original posters topic.

  
IOW: Knock it off EE_Har & CsKythE. If you don’t you’ll get a week   
long ban from posting as per the forum rules and TOS.

 

“Huh.” Jared turned to look at Jensen. The other man was leaning over his shoulder squinting at the screen. “Glasses?”

“Contacts.” Jensen shook his head. “My eyes are just tired.” He leaned back, hand sliding from the back of Jared’s head to rest against his shoulder. “Should we maybe send ‘EE_Har’ a message?”

“And say what?”

Jensen shrugged. “I don’t know . . . maybe just inquire politely about sources?” His thumb brushed back and forth over the skin at the back of Jared’s neck, causing Jared to shudder a bit. “We don’t want to sound like a jerk or put it out there who . . . what we are, but still.”

“I don’t know,” Jared hesitated, the pointer pausing over the ‘PM’ icon below EE_Har’s post. He glanced back up at Jensen who sighed and pushed at his shoulder in response to Jared’s silent request.

“I’ll write it,” Jensen mumbled, pushing at Jared’s shoulder till he stood and let him take the seat.

Jared grinned and let his relief flow freely between them as he moved to stand behind Jensen’s chair. Resting his hands on Jensen’s shoulders, he squeezed gently as Jensen clicked on the link and began to type.

 

  
Hello, I wanted to thank you for posting your opinions in response to   
my questions regarding mating and same-sex pairs. You had some very   
interesting points, several of which I’m rather curious about,   
especially the fact that there may actually be same-sex mated pairs   
out there who are afraid to speak up.

I was wondering if you knew of any data or information about this that   
could either back up or give further credence to some of the other   
points you shared.

This topic is one that utterly fascinates me, and I’d love to learn   
more.

Thanks for your time,

JJ

 

“You’re so polite,” Jared said earning him an elbow to the side. “Do you think he’ll answer?”

“No clue.” Jensen leaned back in the chair, tilting his head to look up at him. “He might assume we’re trolling . . . or if he’s really paranoid he might even think we’re spies working for the government, or Church, or something.”

Jared burst out laughing at that and ducked his head till his forehead rested against Jensen’s, eyes sliding shut. Gripping Jensen’s shoulders tighter, he tried to get a handle on his laughter, but Jensen’s mirth sliding through him didn’t help matters any. “Better to try then to do nothing at all, I guess.” He lifted his head enough to press a kiss against Jensen’s hairline.

Smiling slightly, Jensen sighed, “Got any homework tonight?”

“Just our psych reading,” Jared replied, shaking his head. It had turned out that they did have not only the book in common but the class as well. He wondered what would have happened if they had met in class instead of the relative privacy of the dorms and if that would have made any difference to their mating.

Jensen scrunched up his nose and straightened in his seat as Jared stepped away. “How much again?”

“Just one chapter.” Jared snagged the book off his desk and headed to their bed, flopping down on it before adjusting their pillows so he could lean back against them at the head of the bed. “We could take turns reading.”

“Isn’t reading aloud a little grade school?” Jensen raised an eyebrow as he stooped over to retrieve his book bag from under his desk. He only took his bag to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays since he had three classes right in a row and it always ended up being pushed under something to get it out of the way.

“It’ll help you remember.” Jared smiled, motioning for Jensen to join him on the bed. “Promise.”

“ _Right._ ” Jensen glanced at him skeptically.

Sighing, Jared rolled his eyes. “I promise we’ll actually get the reading done before anything else.”

“All right.” Jensen tossed his book onto the bed and Jared rolled to the side slight to avoid it, grinning as he watched Jensen climb up to join him.

 

 _“Do not associate with those that live in ways that contradict the  
laws and morals bestowed upon you by God. For those who do  
may find themselves tied to those who commit unsavory acts for  
eternity. And they, along with those who are tied to them, will  
find themselves punished in the next life for they will  
be denied entry into Paradise.”  
The Word – Levinius sec 15 line 23_

Jared fumbled for the phone, reaching across Jensen to the bookshelf they’d moved over to be used as a bedside table at some point. “Hello?” His voice was hoarse from sleep, and an evening of less than innocent activities.

“Jared Tristan Padalecki!” His mother’s voice was way too shrill and loud for—he glanced at the alarm clock Jensen had set up—two pm on a Saturday. “It has been _days_ since you last called me! You better have—”

“Sorry Mama,” Jared interrupted her, flopping back onto his side of the bed. He turned his head and met Jensen’s green eyes. His mate was just blinking awake, brow furrowing in sleepy confusion. “I’m sorry I didn’t call.”

“You better have a very good reason!” She paused, her voice gaining an edge of hopefulness as she continued, “Did you mate?”

He sighed, watching as Jensen lifted up on one elbow and twisted around to squint at the clock. They figured out within just a few days of sleeping together that, comparably, Jared was more of a morning person. Jensen would sleep till the middle of the afternoon, given a chance.

Reaching over his mate, arm brushing over Jensen’s, he grabbed the slim, silver wire-framed glasses off the top shelf and pressed them into Jensen’s searching hand. “No, Mama, I’ve just been getting used to college is all.”

She tsked at him over the phone, her tone full of exasperation. “I knew we shouldn’t have let you go off to California. Please tell me you’re at least avoiding those questionable social hangouts Pastor Pellegrino mentioned in your graduation sermon.”

“Of course, Mama.” Jared rolled his eyes, settling back against the pillows.

Jensen watched him for a second before yawning widely and getting out of bed. He was naked but for his glasses and Jared couldn’t help but watch him walk across the room. His mate was gorgeous, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Jensen was 100% model material from his green eyes, freckles, and perfect lips, to his decently defined muscles—he nearly had a six pack—and his slightly bowed legs.

“Good. I don’t know what I’d do if you mated—”

“You’d love her like your own daughter, just like the Word tells you to,” Jared interrupted her again, tired of hearing her lectures on how to choose a mate, when it was impossible for anyone to do so in the first place. He and Jensen were great examples of that.

She huffed, the puff of air causing static to cross the line. “Well, I would, but that doesn’t mean I’d be happy about it.”

“I’m not going to live in a box,” Jared told her, rolling his eyes again when Jensen glanced back at him, eyebrow raised.

“I’m not asking you to,” she paused, growing quieter, “I just want you to be careful about who you associate with is all . . . can’t you understand that?”

And, in some ways, he could. There was a small sect of people, prior to mating, who reveled in the temporary freedom they had. Those were the people most likely to involve themselves in certain activities . . . such as the live action porn industry. It was rare and pretty much taboo for mates to involve themselves with the industry in an ‘actor/actress’ capacity. His mother seemed to have this idea in her head that all of those people lived in California and they were going to corrupt him by just existing.

“I do, Mama. I am.” He stared at Jensen, a smile slowly brightening his features. “I’m being really careful, promise.” Jensen threw a pair of jeans and a clean pair of boxer-briefs at him and Jared stopped mid conversation to sit up and catch them. “I’ll do my best not to mate with some radical _girl_.”

Jensen started laughing at that and Jared mock glared at him.

“Who’s that?” His mother’s question caught him off guard.

“Oh, that’s, uh, my roommate. Jensen.”

“Is he a nice boy?”

“Yep,” Jared nodded, answering sincerely. “He’s really nice. Smart too. He’s a junior this year so he’s been giving me some awesome _advice_ on how to avoid all the radical _girls_.” Jensen’s laughter just increased at that so Jared threw a pillow at him. “Plus he’s a Texan, too. I think you’d like him.”

“Oh, well, he sounds nice.” There was a skeptical edge to his mother’s voice, probably caused by the fact that his roommate was a _junior_ and supposedly hadn’t mated yet. “Are you two getting along?”

“Mmhmm.” He shuffled to the edge of the bed and began pulling on his clothes. “We actually have a lot in common. Apparently both our original roommates mated over the summer. That’s why he’s in a freshman dorm instead of an apartment or an upperclassman dorm.”

“Ah,” she paused before continuing, “So, honey, are you coming home for the holidays? Mrs. Bledel, from church, is organizing a gathering, and her niece and a few friends are going to be there. I don’t think you’ve seen any of them since you were real little . . .”

Sighing, Jared let her drone on about the gathering that was several months away. The only reason she’d apparently called was to figure out more ways to get him close to ‘acceptable’ women. He really wasn’t surprised. Jared figured he was entitled to ignore her now that he had mated, even if he couldn’t tell her that.

Somehow Jared managed to get his mother off the phone, but by the time he did Jensen had already gone for a quick shower and returned, fully dressed. As he shut the cell, snapping it closed, Jensen slipped a hand around his head and pulled him in for a quick kiss before stepping back.

Jensen’s nose wrinkled a bit and he tossed a thumb over his shoulder, pointing towards the door. “Go take a shower. We should probably get something to eat and show our faces around the dorm a bit before the concert tonight.”

“All right,” Jared pouted, nodding. He turned towards his closet as if to get his toiletries and towel before darting an arm out to wrap around Jensen’s waist. Pulling his mate close, he kissed him, openly and passionately. A second later he was stumbling backwards, away from Jensen who was glowering at him.

“Get off.” If Jensen was trying to sound annoyed he was utterly failing, and that fact just made Jared smile.

“You love it.” He grinned; moving closer and leaning in, only to have Jensen stop him with two hands on his chest.

“No.” Jensen shook his head and then jerked it towards the door. “ _Get_ , or I’ll call your mother and tell her how unhygienic you’re being.”

“You’re seriously not using my _Mama_ as a threat, are you?”

“Is it working?”

Jared sighed, grabbed his towel and the carrier that held his shampoo and miscellaneous toiletries. Holding the door cracked open, he turned to Jensen and pouted. All he really wanted to do was stay in bed with Jensen, even if that was pretty much all they had done lately. Still.

His mate had already turned away and was in the midst of turning on his computer. “ _Jared_.”

“Going! I’m going.” Shutting the door, he turned, only to find himself face to face with a stranger, or almost face to face anyway. The door to the room across the hall was wide open, and a guy was seated on one of the beds, guitar in hand and eyebrow raised.

“Hi.” Jared waved awkwardly, suddenly feeling the need to cover his chest, hoping the marks Jensen had left recently weren’t too visible. He fumbled a bit with his arms and hands before just nodding and quickly hurrying down the hall towards the communal restroom.

 

 _“If a mated pair find one another while in a public place  
then that place shall be closed as if it is a day of worship   
until the moment has passed and the pair can be guided   
to the sanctuary of their own home.”  
The Word – Rhia sec 4 line 16_

The club was just as busy, if not more so, than the last time Jensen had been there. They were stopped at the door, and their ID’s checked, which meant that neither of them could get away with drinking—Jared was eighteen and Jensen only twenty—not that either of them had any major plans revolving around getting drunk. Technically Jensen could have given the bouncer his fake ID, but that still would have left Jared out. Plus, he wasn’t quite sure he’d be able to control himself around Jared while drunk, and he really doubted two guys making out would go over well with anyone.

“Hey.” Jensen turned toward Jared, latching a hand onto his mate’s bicep and tugging him closer. The music was more than loud enough that they could use it as an excuse for being closer than normal in order to talk. “You ever been in a place like this before?” He knew the answer before Jared could open his mouth to respond but leaned so close to listen that Jared’s lips nearly brushed against the shell of his ear.

“Nah,” Jared laughed, leaning forward just slightly, so his forehead brushed against Jensen’s temple for a second. “My Mama would go ballistic if she knew I was here.”

A sharp burst of laughter bubbled out of his throat and he pulled back to grin at his mate. “C’mon. Steve and Chris’ll be getting on stage, but Jason and the gang are just hanging out tonight. He texted me a bit ago to let me know they grabbed our usual spot.” He moved his hand up to settle against the curve of Jared’s shoulder as they maneuvered their way through the crowd to the other side of the room.

The usual spot was a booth along the wall that was ‘L’ shaped and opened up towards the stage so everyone had a good view. Instead of one long, rectangular table, a couple of round tables with a chair or two each were positioned so there was somewhere to put any drinks or food patrons might order. Since the first night Jensen had come here, back when he was a freshman, they’d sat in this spot. It was pretty much a given that if one of them had a gig then the rest would be cheering them on in the audience, either at their booth or on the dance floor.

Pushing through the crowds to the other side of the club only took a couple of minutes. There weren’t that many people on the dance floor yet, though, because they were between acts as the group before had just finished and Steve and Chris had yet to start.

“Jensen!” Jason caught site of them almost immediately and held up a glass in a salute. The liquid inside it sloshed over the sides a little and the girl next to him, his mate, swatted at his shoulder in admonishment before snagging a napkin to swipe over the table.

“Hey man,” Jensen replied nodding to him. He dropped his hand from Jared’s shoulder as they stopped in front of the table.

Reflexively, Jared stepped closer, bumping their shoulders and elbows together. A quick look at the younger man told Jensen that he wasn’t even paying attention to his actions as he was glancing around the room, taking everything in.

“Jared.” He elbowed his mate in the side, bringing Jared’s gaze back to him. Jerking his head towards the table, Jensen continued, “You remember Jason. This is his mate, Adrianne, and on her other side is Lindsay, Tom and Jamie, and Mike.” Raising an eyebrow, he turned back to Jason, “Steve and Chris already backstage?”

“Yeah,” Jason nodded and then turned towards Adrianne. A smile appeared on his lips and hers the moment their eyes met. “We should scoot down and make some room.”

Lindsay looked up at that, first looking at Jensen and then at Jared before sighing and turning to Jamie, “Want to dance?”

“Sure,” Jamie turned and pressed a kiss to Tom’s lips before slipping across the seat until she could stand. “It was nice to meet you Jared. We’ll be back in a few. Mike?”

Mike looked up from his phone at the sound of his name. “Yeah?”

“I will tell Kristin if you keep doing that.” Her lips were pursed and every bit of her expression exuded how serious she was. “Don’t think I won’t.” A smile appeared on her lips then as she turned, slipping an arm through Lindsay’s before they disappeared into the crowd.”

“Women,” Mike grumbled, dropping his phone onto the counter. “Utter spoilsports.” Standing he pulled out his wallet, flipping through the bills he found there. “I’m going to grab some drinks. You losers want anything?”

“Only if it’s on you,” Tom replied before taking a long drag from his half empty beer.

Mike grinned at Tom, only it was a bit more of a leer than a grin. “I suppose we could do body—”

“Kristin.”

“Can you get Jared and me a soda each? Coke for me and Dr. Pepper for him if they have it,” Jensen interrupted them before they could really get going. Mike and Tom had been friends since they were little. They'd grown up just down the street from each other and were as close as two friends could possibly be. Unfortunately, that didn’t prevent them from insulting each other or discussing things that would have their mother’s trying to wash their mouths out—in Mike’s case, according to Tom, she often had when they were growing up.

“Sure, you just better pay me back later.”

“Don’t you owe Jensen like a hundred bucks from the poker game at the end of the year party?” Tom asked, leaning back against the booth.

“We were playing with peanuts and M&Ms!”

“That’s right.” Jensen grinned, chuckling to himself. They _had_ only been playing for snacks . . . but then during the last hand, when it was down to just him and Mike, Mike had made a bet that Jensen was bluffing. “It’s just fifty, but yeah. You bet me I didn’t have a straight, and I did.”

“Fine. I’ll be back with your _soda’s_ in a few.” Mike stalked off, disappearing into the crowd.

As they sat down in the spot Jason and Adrianne had recently vacated by taking Lindsay and Jamie’s, Jensen could feel the confusion and questions radiating off Jared. They leaned close together so Jensen could whisper in his ear, “Mike tends to hang out in the most inappropriate forums and chats online . . . even being mated hasn’t managed to curb his addiction.”

“He’s mated—”

“To Kristin, but she’s got a waitressing gig tonight. You’ll meet her eventually, just not tonight.” Jensen brushed their knees together underneath the table. It was too small to really hide them, but the occasional knee touching another wasn’t anything that would really call attention to them.

“I pity her already,” Jared whispered before raising his voice, “So are all your friends mated?” He asked, glancing around the small group.

“Not all,” Jason answered for him. Leaning towards them over the table, he continued, “There are Mike and Kristin, Tom and Jamie, Adrianne and I, and then Charisma and Dave . . . but that’s it. Lindsay and Steve are attached at the hip, but they aren’t mates, and Chris is as single as they come. Katie, Allyson, and Seth have yet to mate either, but I don’t know when you’ll meet them as they've already graduated. And, of course, Jensen usually avoids social gathers like the plague.”

Jensen rolled his eyes and settled back against the seat, knees splaying out a bit. Hearing all his friends laid out like that in regards to their mating status was a little odd, especially now that he was mated and knew that mating wasn’t as simple as the Church and government tried to make it out to be. Not for the first time since mating, he wondered if any of his supposedly unmated friends were actually mated to each other or one of their other friends and were just unable or unwilling to admit it.

Jared nudged his side with his elbow, question evident across their mating bond. The conversation had continued around him, but he hadn’t been paying attention. Glancing up at Jared, he was startled by Mike arriving, setting a tray of drinks down in front of them with a ‘thud’, causing liquid to slosh over the sides of the glasses.

“Your drinks, your majesty.” Mike mimed a bow, waving one arm out in presentation.

“Does that make you—” he was cut off midsentence by a commotion near the center of the dance floor, people were clearing out rapidly, including Jamie and Lindsay who appeared out of the sea of bodies.

“What’s going on?” Jared stood up as best he could, since he was hemmed in by Jensen, Jason, and the table.

“Lindsay made a noise of disgust in her throat as she snagged her purse from the seat next to Adrianne. She opened it, checking the contents before turning on her heel and disappearing towards the backstage entrance.

“There’s a new mated pair on the dance floor,” Jamie answered as she snagged her own purse and Tom’s hand. “We got to clear out for at least half an hour till they’re moved.”

Standing, Jensen slipped out of the booth and looked towards the dance floor. It was mostly clear now, people heading to find a seat or the bar, maybe the restrooms, or, for the most part, just leaving the establishment. He had a good view of the couple—a male and a female, of course—who were all but having sex right there on the dance floor.

They were intertwined, hands roaming, pushing beneath clothing and tangling in hair. The female was relatively scantily clad, dressed for a night out, and her skirt was hiked up around her hips, her newly found mates hands cupping her buttocks and pressing her tightly against him.

“Hey.” Jared’s hand touched his hip and his voice was low in Jensen’s ear. “We need to go.”

Turning his head, Jensen realized that their faces were inches apart. Swallowing, he nodded slightly, glancing back towards his friends. No one was paying any attention to them. The few who weren’t currently grabbing their things or trying to ignore the couple on the dance floor were leaving the building.

“Yeah,” he nodded and turned away, stepping around Jared. Addressing his remaining friends—everyone but Jason and Adrianne had taken off—he smiled apologetically, “Hey I think we’re just going to head back to the dorms since the schedule is going to be shot to hell cause of this.”

“Shit.” Jason sighed, moving closer to Adrianne. Their hands were clasped tightly together and Jensen ached to be able to do the same with Jared. In a perfect world they would be like any other mated pair, but this wasn’t a perfect world and they weren’t like any other mated pair. At least not any _he_ knew. “You better come over sometime this week.” Jason pointed at Jensen then motioned towards Jared. “Both of you. Steve and Chris will be pissed they didn’t get to see you tonight, Jensen.”

“Whatever.” Glancing over his shoulder at the newly mated pair, Jensen winced and cleared his throat. “We should really get going.”

 

 

JJ,

I’m sorry for not replying sooner. I received a temporary ban last   
week thanks to a discussion that got out of hand and didn’t receive   
your message till today as my account was frozen.

I wish I could be completely honest with you in regards to answering   
your questions, but I can’t, because I don’t know you.

I can tell you that the government has done studies, but they are   
classified and can’t be accessed. However, you can access certain   
other statistical information.

If you pm me your university email, I will be quite willing to send   
you some links that you can check out.

I do have to say, though, that you probably shouldn’t include any of   
the information you will gather within your report. Your professors,   
the administration, and anyone else wouldn’t be happy to see it.

E.E. Har.

 

E.E. Har.,

Thank you for your reply! I’d be very interested in hearing what you   
know and seeing those links.

My university email is: JensenR.Ackles@email.UCA.edu

I actually have a partner for this research project, and who jointly   
shares this forum account, who you can reach at:   
JT.Padalecki@email.UCA.edu

We’re roommates so a message to one of us will reach both of us.

I agree that it probably wouldn’t be the wisest thing for us to   
include that information in our paper, but we’re still very interested   
in the topic.

JJPA

 

Jensen turned around when the door opened, Jared slipping through. His mate slammed the door behind him, agitation rolling off him in waves. It was Thursday, which meant Jared was just getting back from his biology lab.

“Hey,” Jensen greeted him, removing his economics book from his lap and setting it on his desk.

“Hey.” Jared barely spared him a glance as he dropped his book bag on the floor and headed to the bed, flopping face down on it.

It was clear then to Jensen that it wasn’t just agitation Jared was displaying but frustration, tension, and a myriad of other negative emotions. “Okay.” He turned to Jared, scooting his chair around, so he could face the bed, “what’s wrong?”

Jared didn’t answer, didn’t even try to. He just pulled the closest pillow to him closer, tightening his arms around it and burrowing his face in it. In the weeks Jensen had known him he’d never seen Jared like this before. It was unnerving to see this drastic change in behavior let alone feel it, extremely unnerving.

Running his hands over his jean clad thighs, he watched his mate for a long moment before standing and moving over to the bed. Sitting on the edge, he settled a hand on Jared’s back and began to rub soothing circles against it. After a second, he worked his hand down and slipped it beneath Jared’s jacked and the hem of his T-shirt so he could settle it against the warm skin underneath. “C’mon, talk to me.”

Jared turned his head to look at him, cheek smashed against the fabric of his pillow and his eyes barely open. He had snagged one of Jensen’s pillows. The one he almost always slept on when his head wasn’t resting on some part of Jared. Jensen raised an eyebrow and Jared finally sighed and spoke up, his voice slightly muffled by his position, “My Mama called again. Apparently I have an invite to one of the social mixers at the Alumni center next week.”

Jensen’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. His fingers contracted slightly, nails scratching over Jared’s spine. “She really is—”

“Pushy? Completely not subtle? What with the insisting and the plotting and everything . . .” Jared twisted, causing Jensen’s hand to slide down to rest against his thigh as he sat up. “Never mind the fact that you and I . . . she’s manipulating my life from a thousand miles away!”

“She just wants you to be happy.”

“No. She wants a picture-perfect new daughter to show off to her church buddies. Someone to use in order to elevate her status with them and she wants it to happen soon because apparently ‘the younger your kids mate the more successful they will be’.” Jared rolled his eyes. Leaning forward, he rested his head against Jensen’s shoulder, his nose nudging against the place where his shoulder and neck met. “Which is utterly ridiculous to begin with. It’s utter bull.”

Tangling a hand in his mate’s hair, Jensen tilted his head and rested it against Jared’s. “You could just refuse to go.”

“Like that would work,” Jared sighed, nuzzling closer. He shifted forward, slipping his legs off the side of the bed so they were sitting side-by-side. “Sorry, it’s just been a long day.”

“How was biology?” He began to run his hands over the back of Jared’s skull, trying to focus as much comfort—gesture wise and emotionally—as he could toward him. Biology had so far been difficult for Jared, to the point that the younger man was considering switching from the sciences to art or education and abandoning his previous plan.

“Torture.” Jared winced, tilting his head back. “Didn’t help that Mama called right before.”

“Sorry—”

“Not your fault.” Lifting a hand, Jared tugged Jensen’s hand from the back of his head and intertwined their fingers. “I just . . . I wish sometimes that we could just tell them and they’d understand. That _she’d_ understand. Maybe then she would back off.”

“I know,” Jensen sighed, tightening his fingers around Jared’s. They were quiet for a moment, enjoying the feel of each other, and the reassurance they were sending to each other, almost like a feedback loop.

Eventually they relaxed back onto the bed, lying down next to each other, just enjoying the moment. It was time that they rarely got, considering that they were roommates. Most days Jensen was busy studying, buried in his books, and Jared was also working part time at the library, re-shelving books and checking them out to students.

Between their classes, Jared’s job, and studying, unless they were eating, sleeping, or going to psychology, they didn’t have much time together during the week. But they made do, even though they didn’t exactly have the most ideal of situations. In addition to their different schedules there was also the issue of trying not to stand out.

Jared’s fingers were idly brushing up and down his arm, causing the skin to tingle slightly. Rolling onto his side, Jensen slipped a hand out and rested it on Jared’s chest, right over his heart. Their eyes met and he felt a spike of positive emotions and arousal flood through him, a mixture of Jared’s and his own.

A smile crept over his face and Jensen leaned down and captured Jared’s lips, sucking gently on Jared’s bottom lip before slipping his tongue into Jared’s mouth, where it was met by Jared’s. His mate tilted his head up slightly, lifting up onto one elbow and slipping a hand up to grip the back of Jensen’s head. The kiss deepened, both physically and mentally, their bodies seeking each other out through clasping hands and sliding legs.

They fit together perfectly, in Jensen’s opinion at least. He knew that they were the minority and that the world at large would disagree vehemently with him, but he didn’t care. Ever since he first laid eyes on Jared, since they'd mated, things had felt _right_ and the hole in his chest—figuratively speaking—was gone, sealed by Jared’s presence in his life.

For once the image of his future, a future with Jared, however unsure it might be, made _sense_. It fit and felt right.

At some point, Jensen managed to rid Jared of his jacket and shirt, divesting himself of his own in the process. They rolled together, hands already practiced at finding the right places to brush and caress while still getting used to touching with the right amount of pressure.

Breaking a particularly heated kiss, Jensen nipped along Jared’s jawline, his tongue peeking out from between lips and teeth to tease along the column of Jared’s neck. Pausing at Jared’s Adam’s apple, Jensen latched on, kissing lightly and lathing the skin for a long moment before Jared’s hands urged him to move on.

“No marks . . .” Jared’s voice was harsh and lacked any real feeling to it.

Jensen glanced up and their eyes locked. “Not gonna mark you where anyone else can see. S’just for you and me,” he murmured, lifting up just enough to press a chaste kiss to Jared’s lips before dropping back down to his previous position, his chin brushing Jared’s sternum.

True to his word, he ignored Jared’s neck in favor of lavishing attention on his nipples and the skin around them. While he’d never intentionally left a hickey on anyone before—not that he’d ever been in a position to do so, prior to Jared—he took to it with ease. Leaving matching marks near each nipple, he slid down Jared’s lightly defined stomach muscles, tongue paying attention to each visible groove in the flesh there.

He paused at Jared’s belly button, tongue swirling around it, and his teeth nipping against the skin next to it. Slipping his hands over Jared’s thighs he brushed gently over his mate’s jean clad erection before slipping up to undo the button and zipper, so he could help remove the offending garment. It was gone in only a few moments, and the boxer briefs Jared favored along with it. Both hit the floor with an audible sound—Jared’s wallet and keys were in his pocket—but neither Jared nor Jensen paid it any mind.

Splaying his hands out over the slight groove at Jared’s hips, Jensen looked up at his mate, locking their eyes together. This wasn’t the first time they’d done this or even the second or third, but every time was different and just as exhilarating, or possibly even more so. Plus, each time they were together things just got better. Practice makes perfect, or so they said.

Jensen pressed his hands down, just hard enough to hold Jared’s hips against the bed, which was something he’d learned to do the second time they tried this. The first time had ended way too quickly for it even to matter. He dropped a kiss just above the short, slightly curling hair that surrounded the base of Jared’s cock, his chin brushing against the velvety flesh.

A hand settled on the back of his head, fingers curling gently against his skin, pressing lightly. Jared was propped up, using his right elbow as support as he tangled his fingers into Jensen’s hair, slitted eyes half opwn, watching avidly. Grinning, Jensen ducked his head and, forgoing any more teasing, took the head of Jared’s cock into his mouth.

The fingers in his hair tensed ever so slightly, and a gasp fell from Jared’s lips. The hazel eyes Jensen now knew so well disappeared behind pale eyelids, and his mate’s head tilted back, baring his long, pale neck. There was a pale pink smudge over the bump of his Adam’s apple and Jensen moaned at the realization.

Jared’s hips bucked, trying to get deeper into the wet heat of Jensen’s mouth. He whimpered and his hand dropped from Jensen’s head to the bed in order to support himself. Fingers clenching in the bedding, he dropped his head forward, opening his eyes to meet Jensen’s again.

Grinning around Jared’s cock, Jensen dipped his head lower taking in as much of it as he could. His eyes slid shut as he bobbed his head, his tongue swirling around the head of Jared’s cock every time he pulled back far enough. Ever so often he’d pause, doing his best to suck and caress the other man with his tongue.

It didn’t take too terribly long for Jared to come, making noises that just added to Jensen’s arousal. His eyes opened just in time for him to take in the sight of his mate’s face contorting as he came. Gagging slightly, Jensen tried to swallow, but nearly choked, so he pulled away, wrapping a hand around the base of Jared’s cock to stroke him lightly through the tail end of his orgasm.

Crawling up the bed, Jensen settled next to Jared on his side, watching as his mate relaxed in the aftermath. He smiled as Jared met his gaze and was pleasantly surprised when Jared caught the back of his neck and reeled him in for a slow, sweet kiss.

A moment later Jared pulled back with a funny look on his face. “That tastes . . . different.”

“It’s you,” Jensen laughed and ducked in for another kiss. This time Jared didn’t break it off right away and they kissed lazily for several long minutes, shifting to get more comfortable together on the bed.

He was slightly surprised, even if he’d read some _intent_ through their bond, when Jared’s hand slid down his body and undid the buckle of his jeans. It slid past his boxers, through his coarse pubic hair, and wrapped around his still achingly hard cock.

Jensen gasped; pulling back from the kiss he caught sight of Jared’s pleased smile. Using his free hand, Jared pushed Jensen back onto the bed before helping him shimmy out of his jeans and boxers till they caught on his knees. Jared’s other hand never left Jensen’s cock, continuing a slow rhythm of moment and pressure change.

Already excited, it didn’t take long before Jensen was bucking up into his mate’s hand, keening low in his throat. Jared leaned over him, latching onto his collar bone with his lips. It was over before he knew it, his come spilling over Jared’s hand and his stomach and upper thighs.

Dropping back onto the bed, muscles unable to muster up enough energy to move, he watched through slitted eyes as Jared held his hand up, examining it. Curiosity coursed across the bond right as Jared darted a tentative tongue out to lick at the drying come. Jensen’s come.

Jared’s nose wrinkled, and he glanced down at Jensen. “S’what I thought. We don’t taste that much alike.” He moved his hand down to hover in front of Jensen’s face. “See for yourself.”

Jensen just stared at him, doing his best to convey _what the fuck_ , _seriously?_ , and _no_ over their bond. All he got was casual assurance, insistence, amusement, and a raised eyebrow back.

“It won’t kill you. Besides,” Jared pointed out, settling down on his side next to Jensen and throwing a leg over Jensen’s waist, “not like you haven’t tried mine.”

“Fine.” Jensen rolled his eyes and opened his mouth wide enough to take in the tip of Jared’s middle finger. He swirled his tongue around it and stared up at his mate who was watching him, eyes dark. The ever present tingle of lust between them blazed sharply, and Jensen had a feeling it wouldn’t be that long before both of them would be ready to go again.

Something told him he also wasn’t going to get much sleep that night, and that his accounting homework was going to be a rush job in the morning.


	4. Part Four

_“Newly mated pairs should be afforded privacy during  
their fever. They cannot be held accountable for any  
displays that may go against the rule of society. They shall  
be afforded one week’s time to get to know one another,  
which shall be more than enough time for the fever to abate.”  
The Word – Rhia sec 4 line 19_

Working in the library late in the evening was probably one of the most boring jobs out there. Of course, it also meant Jared could study when he was covering the counter, but still. The library closed at one, and he worked a seven pm to one am shift once a week, on Tuesdays, and two shorter shifts between his nine am class and one pm classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.

It was nearing midnight, and the majority of students had already left for the night; those that remained probably wouldn’t be back around the entrance till close to closing. His coworkers, Ashley and Devon, were currently shelving recent arrivals and returns. Normally there was another girl, Maria, on shift, but apparently she'd found her mate between classes the day before.

Sighing, he hunched over his math book, trying to focus on the equations he needed to memorize for the next exam. In a way being able to study at work was nice as Jensen wasn’t around to be distracting just by his presence, but it also meant his mind was always wandering, searching along their bond for where his mate was.

They had researched it, and apparently their bond would continue to stretch and grow over time, and it would be anywhere between several months and a year or two, before it would reach its full strength. That was why having mating mentors around and going through all the right channels to register, so allotments could be made during the adjustment period was so important. At least Jensen was already used to the work load required by college courses. Jared, on the other hand, was having difficulty not only adjusting from high school to college, but he also had the bond to work with.

He was startled by the ‘ding’ of the bell at the counter. Sliding off his chair, he turned to step towards it and froze. “Uh, hey.”

“Hey.” The guy held up a couple of books, their glossy covers glinting in the fluorescent overhead lighting. “I need to check these out.”

“Oh, okay,” Jared nodded, moving towards the station and selecting the right option on the screen before turning towards the guy. As he took the man’s ID card and the books he cleared his throat. “You live across the hall from me in the dorms, right?”

“Yep.” He grinned, watching as Jared slid the ID card and brought up his student account.

“Kris.” Jared glanced towards him. “So the guy I have yet to meet would be . . .”

“Chad.” Kris leaned against the counter. He was significantly shorter than Jared, probably by half a foot or more. “If it’s another short guy. My friend Adam is around a lot . . . he’s closer to your height. And you’re?”

“Jared,” he answered, handing the ID card back and opening the books to the back cover so he could stamp the due dates. “Jensen’s my roommate.”

“I figured.” Kris shifted awkwardly, his whole demeanor visibly changing. “Listen . . . I don’t really know how to say this but . . .” he trailed off and glanced around the area before turning back to Jared and lowering his voice. “Could you two keep it down?”

Jared froze, his insides clenching and mind going blank. After a second he finally managed to stammer out a reply, “Keep—Keep _it_ down?”

“Yeah,” Kris nodded, leaning forward slightly. “Keep _it_ down . . . the _porn_.” He leaned back, fingers tapping out patterns on the counter rhythmically. “I don’t know if it’s you or Jensen, but if you could mention it to him that would be awesome. It’s getting kind of distracting at times.”

Cringing, Jared put on a small smile as he finished up checking the books out and handed them over. “Sure. I’ll definitely do that. I’m really, really sorry about that by the way.”

“It’s no problem.” Kris shook his head, a smile tugging one side of his lips up. “I get it. I really, _really_ do. Just keep it down if you can, all right?

“We will. Promise.”

“Awesome.” Kris took the books from him and tapped the bindings against the counter once. “Well I’ll see you around then. Good night!”

“Night.” Jared’s smile faded from his lips as Kris walked away. The other man glanced back over his shoulder as he reached the door to the outside and pushed through. He nodded slightly, raising his hand in a small wave.

Heading back to the desk where he’d been studying, Jared collapsed heavily into the chair, one hand knotting in his hair as his mind began running a mile a minute. Thinking back to that first night in the dorms, he remembered just how _loud_ everything had seemed from people talking to doors opening and the footsteps in the hall . . . even the patter of showers had occasionally been audible.

It made him wonder just what his neighbors thought about him and Jensen, what they were doing or watching and he started to freak a little. So far Kris was the only one to say anything to them, but that didn’t mean other people weren’t thinking things or complaining to each other.

Well _shit_.

 

 

To: JensenR.Ackles@email.UCA.edu  
CC: JT.Padalecki@email.UCA.edu  
From: Elis.Har@swiftrunner.net  
Subject: Research

Jensen,

After some deliberating I chose to email you from my personal email address. I hope you don’t   
mind, but I looked up you and your roommate, Jared, and did a bit of research.

My name is Elisabeth, and the forum account I sent you a message from belongs to both me and   
another woman, my roommate, Elta Danneel Harris. She prefers to go by her middle name,   
Danneel.

I work in PR, while Danneel is a lawyer, which is how we gather much of our information. I’ve   
attached a list of links mostly dealing with census statistics from 1930, 1950, 1970, 1990, and   
2000\. I think you’ll find some interesting patterns crop up, especially in military areas.

I’m putting us out on a limb here simply because I think you _need_ the information we can   
give you. I also don’t think this is research for a paper as the only class the two of you have   
together is Intro to Psychology.

I know you have no reason to trust me, but I am still going to wave an olive branch here   
anyway. Danneel and I live about two hours away from UCA, and if you want to meet we’d be   
willing to arrange a time that we could get together and discuss everything.

Good luck, and I’ll await your response,

Elisabeth Harnois

Attachments: Census_trendsgraphs2.pdf matingSSlinks.doc

 

Jensen was already in bed when Jared entered the room just after 1:30 in the morning. The only light in the room was coming from Jensen’s computer which was displaying a screensaver with the words ‘ **Read Me** ’ bouncing around in shiny, multi-colored text.

Dropping his bag on the floor next to his mate’s desk, he tapped the mouse and waited for the screensaver to dissipate. Jensen’s email was open and displaying a message from EE_Har, or Elisabeth, apparently. His earlier dread and worry returned as he read over it.

“You worry too much.” Jensen’s voice startled him. Looking up, he caught sight of his mate blinking blearily at him, covers pushed down, exposing his bare chest.

“You wouldn’t think that if you were at work with me earlier,” Jared replied, turning back to the computer to finish reading the email.

Jensen sat up, the covers rustling, and the bed shifting slightly as he moved. “What do you mean?” His earlier amusement had drained away leaving curiosity and worry.

He sighed, finishing the email and opening the start window so he could tell the computer to shut down. Straightening, he smiled wryly at his mate. “Kris from across the hall stopped by to check out a book from me a couple hours ago.”

“And?” Jensen prompted, brow furrowing.

“And to ask me if we could turn down our _porn_.”

“Oh _God_.” Jensen flopped back on the bed, one arm crossing over his eyes.

Even though he couldn’t actually see his mate all that well, he knew the freckle covered cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. Jared could feel the emotion coursing over their bond. “”Yeah. Exactly.”

Slipping off his jacket and T-shirt, he dropped both onto Jensen’s chair before moving around the room towards the bed. He stopped at the side and shucked off his jeans before climbing in. Jensen scooted over to make room for him, moving closer to Jared’s usual side. They’d switch before falling asleep, probably, but for now this was fine.

“So what do you want to do?” Jared ventured, squinting at Jensen in the darkness.

Rolling onto his side, Jensen reached out and settled a hand on Jared’s hip. “Besides get an apartment or—fuck—a house?”

“Yeah, besides moving out of the dorms,” Jared chuckled, lifting a hand to run the back of his fingers over Jensen’s cheek.

“I don’t know.” Jensen sighed and leaned forward till his forehead rested against Jared’s neck. He scooted closer to Jared, his arm moving around to press against Jared’s back. “the girl from the forums said she was in PR.” His breath fanned out hot against Jared’s collar bone, and his lips brushed skin causing Jared to shiver slightly. “Maybe she could help us out . . . I think she figured it out anyway.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t have agreed to give her our university emails.” Jared leaned back, pulling Jensen with him till he was lying practically on top of him. He splayed a hand out on Jensen’s back; rubbing gently over his spine until his fingers brushed the waistband of Jensen’s boxers and then smoothed it back up.

Jensen sighed, nipping at the skin right in front of his mouth. “Nah. We can’t keep to ourselves forever . . . it’d kill us. Someone would find out eventually . . . maybe she knows people who can help us figure it out.”

“I kind of got the feeling that she and her roommate might not be just roommates,” Jared replied softly. Through the bond he could feel Jensen’s exhaustion. He was tired too, and that was probably just exacerbating the feeling. Jensen was slowly relaxing against him, sleep teasing at him across the bond. “Talk about it in the morning?”

“Mmhmm,” Jensen mumbled, long and drawn out, “mornin’.”

He lay there, Jensen pressed tightly against him, draped across his chest like a blanket, one leg between his own, enjoying the moment even as his mind was running a mile a minute in the background. There were a lot of possible outcomes that could come of accepting EE_Har’s offer. A lot of questions could be answered, possibly, but that was only if ‘Elisabeth’ was who she said she was. There were just as many, if not more, negative outcomes that could come of admitting their situation to someone, let alone a stranger.

His mind eventually calmed and he managed to get a few solid hours of sleep before the alarm clock went off announcing it was time to get up and get ready for a long day of classes, studying, and work.

 

 

To: Elis.Har@swiftrunner.net  
From:  JensenR.Ackles@email.UCA.edu  
Subject: RE: Research

Elisabeth,

Thank you for all the information you’ve sent us in the past few weeks. We really appreciate it.   
You’re right, we aren’t researching this for a paper it is just a subject that Jared and I are both   
very, _very_ interested in. I think you’ve probably already guessed the reason why.

After some discussion we’ve decided to take you up on your offer of meeting. We would like it to   
be in a semi-public place at the very least, if possible. I know that much of what we’ll be   
discussing isn’t for the ears of the average Jack or Jill.

I hope you don’t mind, but we took the liberty of looking Danneel and you up as well, to the best   
of our ability. From the information provided on your employers website both of you sound like   
very successful individuals. I only hope that you are as nice as they’ve made you out to be.

We’re looking forward to talking with you about everything.

Jensen & Jared

 

Climbing out of the passenger side of Jared’s truck, Jensen shut it behind him. It was an older truck and not in the best shape, so the hinges creaked as it moved. The door locked audibly and a second later Jared was jogging around to meet him on the sidewalk.

“How much time do we have?” Jared asked, glancing around.

Checking his watch, Jensen sighed. “We got ten minutes until we have to meet them.” He squinted down the road, trying to read the parking sign. “This is two hour parking, right?”

“Yeah,” Jared nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Do you know where the place is from here?”

“One block that way.” Jensen pointed to their left. They had written Elisabeth a few times and received several responses since she first suggested meeting up, testing the waters as they tried to come to a decision. That was over a month ago, and now it was nearing harvest season and midterms had just finished, which meant the winter holidays were fast approaching.

Neither of them wanted to go home without the other, and Jensen wasn’t even sure if he wanted to go home at all. Jared sure didn’t, not with all the plans his mother was making for him. Between their friends, school, and work, things were getting hectic, and it was getting harder and harder to hide the fact they were mates from their friends.

Just last week they had gone over to Jason’s place for a small get together that ended up devolving into a jam session. The waves of emotion and attraction exuding from Jared as Jensen took a turn on the guitar and sang along with Jason and the guys had been intoxicating to the point that he had to excuse himself to the bathroom in order to calm down. Jared had been completely embarrassed, and they'd ended the night rather early, returning to the dorm to take care of the issue in private.

But there had been a lot of questions about why they were going and later that night Jason had texted him asking if everything was okay, or if they had somehow made Jared uncomfortable. Jensen had managed to make up some shitty excuse because it wasn’t like he could tell them that no, _they_ hadn’t made Jared uncomfortable _Jensen_ had just made him uncomfortably _aroused_ with his singing abilities and guitar skills, which in turn had made Jensen uncomfortable.

The place they were meeting Elisabeth and Danneel at was a small coffee shop just outside of the main part of town. Jensen had never actually been inside before, but he remembered that it looked rather inviting and artsy, a place twenty-somethings might hang out in at late at night for mini-concerts or poetry readings or small social events.

The outside was a-typical for a shop on a busy street. There were a few round tables with chairs for patrons to enjoy the weather while drinking and conversing and a decorative iron fence that partitioned it off from the rest of the sidewalk. Only one person was outside, a young mother with a baby who was quietly sleeping in a stroller.

Jensen’s eyes stopped on her for a second, his insides twisting a bit. While he had never exactly been big on mating in the first place, that hadn’t meant that he didn’t want children. Now, since he was mated to a man, he realized that it probably wasn’t an option anymore. Even orphanages rarely let singles adopt as there was no way to know who they would mate with and whether or not their lifestyle would be suitable.

Jared’s fingers touched his elbow gently, his mind brushing against Jensen’s through their bond. Turning to him, Jensen smiled slightly and then continued on, following him into the small shop. Their bond had been steadily growing closer to the point that it wasn’t just emotions they were able to convey anymore—although it wasn’t quite words either, but as far as either of them knew, no one was ‘telepathic’ to the point they could hold a dialogue conversation—and Jensen thought that maybe their bond was nearing completion.

Upon entering the shop, they were assaulted with the rich aroma of coffee and fresh pastries. It was an amazing combination of scents and Jensen nearly sighed, a smile growing on his lips as they made their way towards the counter to order. Next to Jared, coffee was his one true love. Jared had learned that the hard way as the only thing that truly woke him up quickly in the morning—other than a blow job—was a cup of rich, black coffee. They had even ended up buying a coffee pot, because the microwavable instant crap just wasn’t the same.

There wasn’t anyone in front of them so they were waiting at the counter for only a few seconds, before a short blond hurried up to it. “Sorry, I was trying to fix a stool.” She bit her lip, smiling up at them. “I haven’t seen you two around before. What can I get you?”

“We’re actually meeting someone.” Jared smiled back. “Two someones actually, Elisabeth and Danneel.”

The girl blinked and tilted her head, looking between them. “Huh. You must be Jensen and Jared?”

Jensen frowned. “Are you—”

“No!” She waved her hands in the air, cutting him off. “I’m Emma. I manage this shop, Elisabeth and Danneel are just good friends of mine. They’re probably still upstairs. There’s a second level for special events or meetings. Sometimes Tuesday night poetry readings move up there if the crowd gets big enough.” She smiled, turning to the register. Pausing, Emma turned to look at them, her hand hovering over the keys. “What can I get you?”

“A non-fat venti mocha latte for me and a cup of straight black coffee for Jensen.” Jared leaned against the counter, eyes locked on the board as he spoke. “Make his a tall.”

Emma pursed her lips around a smile and looked to Jensen for confirmation. When he nodded she punched in the order and turned to make it, calling over her shoulder, “That’ll be $7.10, boys."

Their drinks were made expertly—in Jared’s case at least—and handed over in only a couple of minutes. As Emma was handing Jensen his drink, the clicking of heels on the hard wood floor caught their attention. They all looked up in time to see a petite woman with long blond hair rushing down the stairs. As she reached the bottom, her eyes quickly roved across the room before locking onto them.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, the woman smiled and straightened her shirt before crossing to them. “Jensen and Jared?”

Jensen nodded, lifting his coffee cup in acknowledgment. “Yep, that would be us.”

“I’m Elisabeth.” She held out her hand. “Sorry I’m late. I was on the phone with work dealing with some . . . issues.”

“No worries.” Jensen took her hand, shaking it. “I’m Jensen and this is Jared.” He motioned towards Jared who took her hand next.

“Awesome.” Elisabeth smoothed her hands over her skirt. She glanced in Emma’s direction, but the woman was already making her way back to the other side of the room. “Let’s head upstairs. It’s a bit more . . . private there. Makes it easier to talk about _things_. Plus Danni’s waiting up there.” Laughing softly, she continued talking as she lead them towards the stairs, “She’s wearing these ridiculous heels and didn’t want to risk the stairs with them on.”

The upstairs of the shop was decorated nicely with a homey feel to it. There was a restroom just at the top of the stairs, and a short hall with two closed doors before it opened up into one large, very spacious room. There were columns in strategic points, but other than that the floor plan was pretty open. At one end of the room, in front of some tall windows that overlooked the road below, there was a small grouping of couches and a couple of chairs around a low coffee table.

A young woman with red-brown hair was sitting there waiting for them. She looked up the moment they entered the room and smiled, her eyes obviously studying the two of them—although Jensen wasn’t entirely sure if she was _checking them out_ or just looking them over.

“Jensen, Jared,” Elisabeth motioned towards each of them in turn, “this is Danneel.” She paused, turning back to face them, her features turning serious. “My mate.”

Jensen froze, his breath rushing from him in surprise. Sure, this had been one of their theories—that Elisabeth and Danneel were mates—but he hadn’t _really_ expected them to admit it. If anything he had figured maybe they had experience dealing with clients who were in their situation and might be able to give some advice.

Jared was the one who broke the silence, reaching a hand out towards Danneel, smiling at her. “Nice to meet you.”

Danneel raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and took his hand, shaking it. “Well aren’t you polite.”

“My Mama raised me right,” Jared stated, grinning. He stepped back towards Jensen, brushing their shoulders together.

“That’s what I read. Both of you are Texas boys, right?” At their nod, she leaned forward. “It’s kind of amazing how you both came out here and ended up becoming roommates, huh?” If Elisabeth hadn’t admitted they had researched them, basically doing background checks, Jensen might have been slightly freaked out.

“God works in mysterious ways,” Jared replied, turning to look at Jensen. Their eyes met and Jensen felt the little bit of tension still seeping through his body drain away. If Jared thought everything was going okay then things probably were; he was much more of a people person than Jensen was.

“Mated, huh?” Jensen asked, turning back to the girls. They were watching them, clearly observing closer than a regular person would.

“Yep,” Danneel nodded and then motioned towards the other chairs as Elisabeth sat down next to her, “take a seat. I have a feeling this might take a while.”

Jensen nodded and they took a seat, hesitating only a moment before sitting directly next to each other on the sofa across from the loveseat the girls were sitting on. Their thighs and shoulders pressed together and Jensen’s hand automatically rested on Jared’s knee.

“When did you two mate?” Elisabeth asked, a smile quirking her lips as she watched them.

His hand tensed, gripping Jared’s knee tightly, until his mate covered it with his own, slotting their fingers together and squeezing gently. To hear it from someone else’s mouth was startling and yet it made it more real than anything else had—even their bond and the sex. Jensen glanced up at Jared, communicating silently for a moment, before he turned to face the girls again. “August twenty second.”

“I’d gone to the cafeteria for lunch and he moved in while I was out. He was actually gone when I got back to the dorms.” Jared bumped their shoulders together, prompting a smile from him. “He came back while I was putting my books away. I heard him come in and turned to look and—”

“—and that was that.” Jensen finished, smiling slightly. It was strange to be able to share their mating story. Sharing that story was a big part of being mated, an important part, and he’d heard story after story growing up and even more in the past few years at college.

“You’re lucky.” Danneel reached over and caught Elisabeth’s hand, turning to look at her. “You mated in privacy. Elisabeth and I weren’t so lucky . . . but then in some ways maybe we were luckier than most.”

“What do you mean?” Jared asked, curiosity flooding their bond. He leaned forward, looking between the two women.

“We met in college, our freshmen year—”

“In Theater 101 of all places.” Elisabeth giggled a little, tilting her head to look at Danneel. “We got lucky. I came in late and the Professor had decided to start off with an improv game. Danneel was up, and when I came in everyone turned to look at me—”

“Only in that moment we mated and were going to try and do it on the stage.” Danneel interrupted her.

“Yep,” Elisabeth nodded. “Our professor had worked in the business just enough to know a little something about a lot of something’s, and told the whole class to get out—”

“—because we were doing such a marvelous ‘improvisation’ of a pair in the throes of mating,” Danneel laughed, leaning her forehead against Elisabeth’s. “He told everyone there was no way they could top us on the first day and that they should go home and study up, because there’d be a quiz on stage terminology the next class.”

“Then he locked us in the classroom and told us to knock on the door once we’d worked it out of our system enough we could go somewhere else. Not that we were really paying attention to him at that point, or anything else but each other for that matter.” Elisabeth sighed, straightening to look at them again. “We ended up staying in a hotel for half a week and Professor Pygram called up an old friend of his who sent some people to come help us out.”

“Someone helped you?” Jared asked, his hand tightening around Jensen’s.

Danneel nodded and glanced at Elisabeth. “They’re the reason we have the jobs we do, actually. It’s easier this way, much easier as we don’t have to work quite as hard to hide it on a regular basis.” She grinned and shrugged. “Plus we make a lot of money helping other people like us keep their secrets.”

The hope that had been sparking inside Jensen dropped at that. Neither he nor Jared were all that rich and if they wanted money . . . well then this meeting was worthless. “People pay you to help them hide?”

“Oh, no, not like—” Elisabeth cut herself off and sighed, shaking her head. “We don’t charge people for helping them out, not like you or Jared anyway. I work with PR while Danni does her thing with the lawyers. There’s two sides to our company, well three sides if you count the official PR work we do, helping people like you and Jared adjust and build a life and helping those who need more intensive cover ups or those that have issues with the law. We have a very diverse client base.”

“We might work with pairs who need basic training on how to get by, like you two, but we also deal with people who are in the public eye much more often.” Danneel uncrossed her legs and leaned forward to snag a mug from the table. “It’s the people who want to be in the public eye or are due to their job that pay us. Same for the people with legal issues.”

“If there are public figures that are mated to . . .” Jensen frowned. “How do they deal with it?”

“The most common way is to make an alliance with another pair,” Danneel paused to take a sip. Waving her hand towards her mate, she continued, “Lisa knows more about it than I do as she works directly with them. I just work with people that mess up somehow or draw up contracts for people.”

“Like Danni said, most people in the public eye tend to go the alliance route. They make a contract with another same-sex pair of the opposite gender. Generally they live or work close by, keeping two households, so it’s relatively easy to keep up appearances, but they do have to get to know each other _really_ well.”

“Huh,” Jared tilted his head in thought, “but most matings happen in a public place . . . how do people deal with that?”

Danneel burst out laughing and leaned over to hide her face in Elisabeth’s neck. Patting her mate’s leg, Elisabeth answered, “The members of an alliance get to know each other _very_ well. They have to or the whole thing wouldn’t work. Think of it as acting . . . actors on television and in the movies pretend to mate with others all the time, it just takes a bit of observation and practice to make the performance believable.”

“It’s a tough gig, but there are many people who do it and do it successfully.” Danneel tilted her head so she could see them “it isn’t recommended unless you really _need_ to, though, because it is difficult and puts a strain on a pairs relationship no matter how strong their mating bond.” She smirked then, pulling away from her girlfriend. “Although I do hear the reassurance sex is quite spectacular.”

“So,” Jensen asked after a second, clearing his throat. “What does this place you work for—”

“Nimoy & Shatner.”

“—have that could help Jared and I?”

“What do you want to be?” Danneel asked, looking between them.

“What?” Jensen blinked. Her question startled him, of all th things he had expected her to say, that wasn’t one of them.

“That was what we were asked when the representative came to meet us,” Elisabeth explained as she picked up a briefcase from the floor, opening it. “To successfully plan you need to have an idea where you _want_ to go and where you _should_ be in the future. The advice we give you will change based on whether you want to be an artist, cop, lawyer, business owner, actor, politician, etc.”

It made sense, and Jensen sighed, glancing at Jared. They had talked about their plans, some, but where Jensen had a pretty solid plan—he was studying to be a physical therapist and wanted to own his own business one day—Jared was still a freshman and relatively undecided. He knew a lot of the things he _didn’t_ want to do, but not what he _did_.

“Jensen is studying physical therapy and I,” Jared bit his lip, an edge of worry and maybe a small amount of guilt evident, “I don’t know yet.”

“You’re only a freshman. You have time.” Jensen set his coffee on the table and covered their joined hands with his free one. He glanced at Elisabeth and Danneel, daring them to contradict him.

“He’s right.” Elisabeth smiled placatingly. “You do have time. It’s just something you need to start thinking about. Nimoy & Shatner works with pairs so they can live without fear of exposure and so they can live as close to normally as possible. There are companies out there that are safe havens, like Nimoy & Shatner, places where people _know_. Danni and I decided to work for Nimoy  & Shatner, so that we’d be able to help others in our situation.”

“If there are so many of us, why are you all hiding in the first place?”

“I wish it were easy, Jensen,” Danneel sighed, glancing down at where her fingers were intertwined with Elisabeth’s, “but it isn’t. People are afraid and for good reason. I’m sure you remember the female same-sex pair that tried to come out of hiding in the 1990s?” When they nodded she continued, “They weren’t involved with Nimoy & Shatner and we didn’t know about them or what they were planning until it was too late. People rallied though, many deciding to be out and proud . . . but then the outcry and the assassination . . .” she paused, voice choking slightly.

Elisabeth’s fingers tightened around Danneel’s, and she spoke up, continuing for her mate, “People were frightened and backed out. The whole movement fell apart before it could really see the light of day.”

“And now?” Jensen asked.

Danneel was the one that answered, raising her eyes to meet his. “Now people don’t want to risk it and are happy being known as ‘that single’ or hiding behind a façade of normality with alliances.”

 

 

To: SherriP@saps.ed.com  
From: JT.Padalecki@email.UCA.edu  
Subject: RE: Flight Home

Yes, Mama, I am going to be ready for my flight. My friend Jason is going to give me a ride to   
the airport at 2 pm, and my flight leaves at 3:30. Unless something happens with the plane itself,   
I should get there right on time.

Do you have any idea what Megan might like for Celebration?

Also, it’s still all right if Jensen stays for a couple days on either end of his flight, right? It was   
cheaper for him to fly into San Antonio instead of Dallas, even with the cost of renting a car and   
gas.

Miss You,

Jared

 

Jared groaned, dropping onto the bed on top of Jensen. He was finally done with his first semester of classes. It had been difficult, _very_ difficult, but he was done.

His last final had been biology, and he really hoped he had passed, considering how rough it had been for him all semester. All week he’d spent at least two hours a day studying with Sandy, quizzing each other back and forth. Now that it was over all he wanted to do was spend time with Jensen, who had been finished with his finals for over a day and a half.

Wrapping his arms around his mate, he snuggled down, causing Jensen to squirm a bit, burying his face deeper into the pillows. Jared knew he was awake, just trying to ignore him as it was just after ten in the morning, and when Jensen didn’t have anything to do he would sleep in past noon.

Pressing his chin against the curve of Jensen’s shoulder, he pressed a sloppy, noisy kiss to the back of his neck, just behind his ear. He grinned as his mate groaned, turning his head to look up at him.

“Stop it,” Jensen slurred sleepily, one eye popped open to look at him.

“Nope, not gonna happen.” He leaned in, quickly pressing a kiss to the side of Jensen’s mouth. “I’m flying out Sunday, and the last thing I want to do is sleep the next few days away. We can sleep while we’re apart.”

Groaning, Jensen turned over, pushing the sheet down past his waist, and settled back against the pillow. “Like that’ll happen.”

“I’m pretty sure it will, what with my flight already booked and everything.” Jared’s hand settled against Jensen’s bare chest, sliding gently up and down, caressing. “I think my Mama would kill me if I missed it.”

Reaching up, Jensen cupped the back of Jared’s head, twisting his fingers through the hair there. “Not the flight. _Sleep_. I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep without you around.”

“Even if I am sweaty, and messy, and unhygienic at times?” Jared raised an eyebrow.

“You’re not that messy. Sweaty on the other hand . . .” Jensen trailed off, leaning up to kiss him. After a moment he pulled back from the kiss and tugged Jared’s head down till their foreheads touched. “Love you.”

Jared grinned. “Love _you_.” He pressed forward, capturing Jensen’s lips with his own. It was a sweet kiss at first, just light teasing with tongues and gentle sucking. After a moment he pulled back, eyes searching his mate’s face.

Jensen grinned, head tilted and eyebrow raised. “What do you want?”

“What do you think I want?” Jared pulled back, biting his lip to stifle his smile a little.

Sliding his hand down Jared’s neck, Jensen pressed against Jared’s shoulder, pressing him back onto the bed, so he could hover over him. “Well, you have a few different options.”

“But I’m only thinking about one of them.”

“That you are.” Jensen’s hands pushed his shirt up his chest, brushing over his chest till they reached his nipples.

Jared dropped his head back as Jensen’s fingers rubbed over his areolas and pinched each nipple lightly once before moving up his chest. “I think you know.”

“I think I do.” Jensen nipped lightly at his jaw before sliding his hands further up, tugging at Jared’s shirt. “Too many clothes.”

Lifting up, he helped Jensen remove his shirt and then his pants. He bit his lip as his jeans and boxer-briefs dragged over his erection. As soon as they were gone, tossed onto the floor, his cock was grasped firmly, his mate’s fingers finding the exact spots and using the right pressure to have him dropping back on the bed moaning and making small, pleasure filled noises.

Jensen’s other hand fondled his balls for a moment before trailing down his thigh and hooking under his knee, pushing his leg up. He copied the movement with his other leg, baring himself to his mate. “You do know.”

“Told you.” Leaning over him, Jensen slipped a hand under their pillows, groping for the tube of lube Jared knew he’d slipped there the earlier that morning. When, after a few long moments of fumbling, he hadn’t found it, Jared reached back and searched for it himself, finding it just to the side of where his head was resting. He held it out for Jensen to grab, smiling.

Pumping Jared once more, Jensen moved his hand to the bed in order to support himself as he kissed Jared and took the lube. He swiped his tongue into Jared’s mouth, licking the roof of his mouth and sliding their tongues together.

Jared settled a hand against his shoulder and pressed him back, breaking the kiss. Leaning up on an elbow he trailed a line of kisses, sucking gently, down Jensen’s jawline and neck, biting teasingly at the apex of his neck.

Jensen moaned and sat back, pressing Jared back down onto the bed. He quickly uncapped the lube and slicked up three fingers. “Lift up a bit.”

Raising an eyebrow, Jared did as asked, but at the same time he picked up a pillow—Jensen’s pillow—and threw it at his mate’s head. Jensen caught it with his clean hand, pausing momentarily as he realized which one it was.

“I’ll do laundry tomorrow.” Jared grunted and reached out snagging the pillow from him. He fitted it quickly beneath him. “Right now, however, I want you in me. Now.”

Jensen shifted forward, moving to settle between Jared’s legs. Running one hand over up his thigh, he leans down and presses a kiss to the center of Jared’s chest. His other hand slips down Jared’s body, passing over his dick and balls to swirl one finger around the ring of muscle of his anus. The cold, slick feeling caused Jared to hiss out a breath as Jensen trailed kisses down his chest and swirled his tongue into Jared’s belly button before nipping lightly at the skin just above the short, curling hairs surrounding his cock.

They had done this quite often over the past few months so Jared wasn’t at all surprised when Jensen pressed his finger in and quirked it at just the right angle to brush against his prostate. The move, like always, had him gasping, eyes shifting closed and head tilting back. It wasn’t long before Jensen was working a second and then a third finger into him, stretching him. They hadn’t had full on sex either way since the week before; between studying and work there hadn’t been time to do much more than exchange hand jobs or blow jobs.

The moment Jensen pulled his fingers away, Jared opened his eyes, locking them with his mate’s as the head of Jensen’s cock pressed against his entrance. He slid a leg up Jensen’s and hooked it behind him, pulling him closer. Jensen entered him then in one long, smooth movement, filling him up. There was a slight burn, but Jared knew it’d turn to pleasure soon enough. Reaching up he framed Jensen’s face with his hands and pulled him down into a heated kiss as they settled into a rhythm, and he arched to pull Jensen in even closer.

He couldn’t image not being able to do this for the next month–not counting when Jensen would be coming to visit him, but he doubted they’d have much time to themselves. Jared also couldn’t even begin to think about what it was going to be like not having Jensen nearby. They probably wouldn’t even be able to feel each other, which wouldn’t be all that good for their still growing bond. That was one of the reasons why their friends—Elisabeth, Danneel, and the others they’d met—had insisted that Jensen go home for the holidays.

Jensen pulled back, gasping, his face contorting as he orgasmed, spilling inside Jared. It was an odd feeling, but good. Even as his body started to relax, Jensen reached down and wrapped his hand around Jared’s cock. It only took a few strokes before Jared was coming too, coating Jensen’s hand and his own stomach.

Yeah, Jared was going to miss this a lot.


	5. Part Five

_“For all that the date and time at which one  
finds their mate is impossible for mere mortals  
to predict, do not become lazy but actively surround  
thyself with those that are worthy in God’s eyes.  
The Word – Sansori sec 8 line 19_

The party was just as pretentious and gaudy as Jared had expected it would be. He arrived a little late, dragging his feet, even as his mother was yelling for him to hurry up. Jared really didn’t understand the purpose of these parties—well, he understood the theory behind them, but in practice they rarely worked. Only once had he ever witnessed a mating at one, and he’d attended dozens since turning fifteen.

He’d been in Texas for only a week, and this was the third event so far that he’d been to. His mother was there, as usual, with a bunch of other adult chaperones. Most were mothers and members of the church who’d helped set it up. In order to humor her, he’d made his rounds, quickly greeting every girl he saw, including those he already knew, just to get it over with. After that, under his mother’s disappointed gaze, he had snagged some food and slipped to the edge of the party, as far away from her as he could get.

“You never call, you don’t write, and you avoid Facebook like the plague. If a guy didn’t know better, he’d think you died or dumped him for greener pastures.”

Jared glanced up from examining the pastries he’d snagged from the snack table and grinned. “I figured a clean break would be better than stringing you along.” He laughed, embracing the man in front of him in a half hug before pushing away. “Hey Chad, how’ve you been?”

“Apparently no luckier than you.” Chad snagged pastry from his plate, raising an eyebrow before shrugging and popping it into his mouth. “Are the girls there really as hot as they say?”

“I think it averages out the same?” If Jared was at all honest with himself he hadn’t really taken the time to look since he arrived. He leaned back against the wall and glanced around the room. “But yeah, they are.”

“Damn,” Chad muttered under his breath. “I knew I should have applied out there. I shouldn’t have let my parents talk me into Texas State.”

“State’s a good school though,” he pointed out, “especially for your major.”

“Nah.” Chad shook his head and shot him a weird look. “Like I said you never check Facebook. I switched from business to law and UCA is better than TS for law.”

“You could transfer?”

“I can try.” Chad sighed, moving to lean next to him against the wall. “With my luck I’ll mate the week before and be stuck here.”

“You could always hole up till then, avoid everyone.” Jared grinned lopsidedly at him, one side of his lips tilting up into a smirk. “From what I hear that’s a great way to avoid mating.”

“Nah, I’d just have to do my best to convince my girl of California’s greatness.” He frowned suddenly as he glanced up at Jared. “Dude! Did you grow again?”

Jared straightened and nodded. “Maybe half an inch? I had to go pick up some clothes the day before I flew here. Jensen didn’t think I should come home wearing ill-fitting jeans, even if my Mama would’ve bought me a whole new wardrobe when I got here.”

“Shit, you’re going to be a sasquatch!” Chad paused and raised an eyebrow, cocking his head to the side. “Jensen?”

Jared ducked his head, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. “My roommate. Jensen Ackles.”

“Awe, man!” Chad groaned, punching him lightly in the arm. “Do _not_ tell me I’ve been replaced! Ten years as your best friend and—”

“Nah.” He settled a hand on Chad’s shoulder then and drew back and bumped it with his fist. “you’re still my best friend. My friendship with Jensen is . . . different than ours.” Pausing, he considered what to say, not wanting to say too much as Chad knew him pretty well. “’Sides he’s a junior.”

“A junior?” Chad frowned. “Doesn’t UCA have freshmen dorms?”

“Yep,” Jared nodded and decided to use that as an easy out. “Exactly.”

“Poor guy,” Chad paused, tilting his head in thought, “or he could totally score himself a younger hot chick. Be the envy of all his friends!”

Cringing, Jared chose that moment to stuff a too-dry, slightly lemony tasting pastry into his mouth. He winced at the feel of it, but it was an excellent excuse to let Chad ramble and his friend did just that, switching subjects to some of the ‘babes’ he’d met at college and how he was utterly disappointed he hadn’t mated with any of them.

He liked Chad, he really did, but he also knew him really well and Chad knew him, too. It would be too easy for Chad to realize that Jared didn’t have all that many awesome stories from college and that those he did have all involved Jensen. While it was unlikely the guy would think anything of it—outside of perhaps starting to believe Jensen was Jared’s new best friend after all—he didn’t want to risk it.

“There you are, Jared!”

He turned his head, wincing slightly as he spotted his mother heading towards him, a young brunette in tow. The girl was pretty, there was no doubt about that, and she was smiling, a dimple appearing in her cheek. Sighing, he smiled back before nudging Chad, turning to look at his friend.

Chad was frozen, eyes wide and glittering with something Jared knew well. Turning back towards his mother and the girl, he realized the girl had the exact same expression on her face, and was slowly stepping forward.

His mother’s gaze was on the girl, eyes widening, and a look of excitement growing. Then she turned her attention back to Jared and Chad and her expression visibly fell, evaporating into that look of disappointment that he was starting to know so well.

Stepping around the girl as she reached Chad, Jared snagged his mother’s arm and tugged her towards the other side of the room, gently turning her away from the new pair. “We should get going, Mama.”

“But—” She floundered, obviously not wanting to head home so early. Jared hoped she’d overlook the fact that there were rooms available for Chad and the girl to be shepherded into.

“ _If a mated pair find one another while in a public place, then that place shall be closed as if it is a day of worship_ ,” he quoted, knowing that she wouldn’t attempt to argue with him if it was the Word’s law.

She huffed, pulling her arm from his and smoothing down her shirt and skirt, trying to get rid of nonexistent wrinkles. “Well, Mrs. Hoffman is having a get together tomorrow night. I’m sure most of the people you haven’t met tonight will attend it.”

 _Oh goodie_ , Jared thought, but just nodded and followed his mother towards the entry where several members of the host family were handing coats to their owners.

 

 _“While mates do not need to live with  
one another, they shall under no circumstances  
be separated without consent, unless one of the pair   
commits one of the forbidden sins. Never should  
one member of a pair be put to death if the  
other had no part in the crime.”  
The Word – Sansori sec 6 line 1_

Jensen was sitting on the couch at his old apartment—Jason and Adrianne’s now—guitar in hand, strumming idly as he watched the screen of his laptop. Jared had been in Texas for a week and wouldn’t be flying back for another three. While he’d had a choice to visit his own family for the entire break, Jensen had opted to stay in California for a week and a half, before flying home just for the holidays. He’d stay for a week and a half and then fly back for the remaining week, in order to help Steve out with a show while Chris went back East for his own holiday celebrations, belated as they’d be.

It had been a busy semester for him, between mating and trying to get all of his class work done everything had gone by so fast. After meeting Elisabeth and Danneel they’d gotten involved with a few of the programs provided by Nimoy & Shatner. They had gained a mentor-pair, who he and Jared met up with once a week at the coffee shop to work with.

Dominic and Billy weren’t like anyone Jensen had ever met. They were college students, grad students actually, who had met for the first time right outside of class their freshman year of high school. They’d somehow made it to the restroom where an upper classman had found them in the middle of the initial fever. Everything could have blown up for them then, but it didn’t. While both of them had gotten into trouble—trouble that included calling a Church official and law enforcement—in the end it had been written off as a dare. It had actually been the Church official, a junior pastor, who’d called a representative of Nimoy and Shatner in.

The advice they gave had helped Jensen some, but for the most part their efforts focused on Jared, whose lack of ability to concentrate at times during class as the bond occasionally flared up, heightening their awareness of each other over greater distances, was having more of a negative impact on his school work than it was for Jensen.

Most of the help they gave Jensen was focused on helping him plan out the future, a future that would revolve around Jared but would need to look as if it didn’t from the average outsider’s perspective. They pointed him towards  graduate programs and apprenticeship in his chosen occupation that could take the place of a graduate degree. More and more it was looking as if the latter would be his best option for being able to stay with Jared full time after he graduated.

There were a couple of ‘in the know’ physical therapists nearby, who would be more than willing to provide him with an apprenticeship, apparently, assuming he met their individual requirements to fill the position. One of them was rather famous for his work, and if it hadn’t been for Jensen mating with Jared being apprenticed to him wouldn’t have been an option in a million years.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room for the next three days?” Jason dropped down next to him on the couch, holding out a beer.

Jensen sighed and set his guitar on the cushion next to him before taking it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.” Leaning back, Jason propped his feet up on the coffee table. “You’re moping, and have been since you moved in last week. Adi’s at her friend Connie’s place, so you have plenty of time to tell me _all_ about it.”

“Nothing to tell,” Jensen mumbled, glaring at his beer as he uncapped it.

“Right,” Jason scoffed. “Seriously man, what’s up? If I didn’t know any better you were going through withdrawal.”

Fingers tightening around the bottle, Jensen took a long pull from his beer. He barely tasted the liquid as it tumbled straight from his mouth and down the back of his throat.

“You aren’t—” Jason swore, cutting himself off. “Jensen, what is it? Are you taking something? Did . . .” he paused as if considering what it could possibly be that Jensen was addicted to.

For Jensen the answer was obvious. _Jared_ He was going through mate-withdrawal without Jared there. Unlike his mate, Jensen wasn’t as good at putting up a façade to hide the emotional upheaval that came with being so far away that you were virtually unable to feel your mate across the bond. Since their bond was still young, the shadow at the back of his mind was only barely there.

It wasn’t like he’d reverted to how he felt pre-Jared or anything, but the constant feel of Jared’s emotions that had been there for the past few months, growing steadily stronger, was more like a dim flicker of indeterminable emotions at the back of his mind. He knew Jared was alive but that was about it.

“Did _Jared_ get you hooked on something?” Jason’s voice was steel and there was anger and worry bubbling just under the surface of his words.

Jensen jumped slightly, eyes meeting Jason’s dead on. “ _No._ I’m not hooked on something, and Jared would never touch drugs let alone get me—or anyone else for that matter—hooked on them. Are you insane?”

“Are you?” Jason shot back, sitting up. “We’ve been friends for years, Jensen. We were roommates for a year. I _know_ you. Something is wrong, and it didn’t just start this past week. It started months ago when you moved back into the dorms and—” he stopped, eyes scrutinizing Jensen’s face. “I haven’t seen you more than once without Jared, since then till this week. What are you doing Jensen? Whatever is wrong involves Jared, doesn’t it?”

Feeling the blood draining from his face, Jensen tried to muster up an excuse, something, _anything_ , but Jason was right. He did know Jensen too well, and there wasn’t anything that Jensen could muster up, that would adequately quell his friend’s questions.

He swallowed hard and turned towards Jason. His expression was serious, and he met Jason’s eyes as confidently as he could. “You’re right. It does involve Jared. I mated, and he’s . . . Jared’s my mate.”

Everything seemed to freeze then, except for the faint sound of traffic filtering in from the open window and the nearly imperceptible widening of Jason’s eyes. It only lasted for a moment, and then Jason was scrambling up, standing and gesturing, rambling his way through some dead end excuses about how Jensen was _lying_ , and that it wasn’t funny.

Leaning forward, Jensen steeled himself, raising his eyes to meet Jason’s again, calmly repeating what his friend was trying desperately not to believe. “I’m not lying, Jason. Jared’s my mate, and being so far away from him feels like my heart is tearing out of my chest. I feel broken, and empty, and it’s the reason I’m going home next week to Texas and flying into San Antonio rather than Dallas. It’s the reason why I haven’t been around much, and why, when I am, Jared is always with me.”

“It’s impossible!”

“You know me, Jason.” Jensen just kept looking at him. “You said it yourself: _you know me_. So think about it. Am I lying? Would I lie about this? Think about every time you saw me with Jared and tell me that it isn’t true.”

Jason turned away then, running a hand over his face and through his short, curly hair as he stared out the window. Several long moments passed, and with each one Jensen felt his insides quiver with a myriad of emotions he didn’t even want to think about. He’d been friends with Jason for a long time, best friends, and he didn’t want to lose that. If the other man couldn’t accept the fact Jared and he were mated then how could anyone else, friends or family?

He’d been warned about telling people, telling _anyone_ , but to live completely isolated, without anyone but those they worked with—if that—and a few friends knowing who they really were? Danneel, Elisabeth, Dominic, Billy, and the few others they’d met were great, sure, but they were new friends, new acquaintances, and Jensen didn’t want to lose the people he’d spent years building relationships with, just because fate threw him a curve ball.

“God.” Jason turned back towards him and collapsed into an arm chair. “I can’t . . . I didn’t know this was possible. The Word says—”

“The Word says a lot of things but that doesn’t mean everything is completely true.” Jensen cringed at his own admission. If anyone had asked him prior to mating with Jared if he thought the word was anything less than divine, he’d have thought they were crazy. He might not have gone to church a lot, but he still had a lot of faith. Even now he still believed in most of it. “I didn’t know it was possible, not until I walked in the room and saw Jared for the first time, anyway. Then everything just clicked together. Our eyes met and it was as if I was alive for the first time—as if I’d been missing a limb my entire life, and it just grew back.” He laughed a little, “We holed up in our dorm room after a quick supply run, and, God, apparently we had our neighbors convinced we were _porn addicts_.”

Jason laughed, but it wasn’t his usual laugh. There was a nervous edge to it. “I don’t . . . I believe you Jensen, but I’m not sure if this is,” he sighed and continued, “This goes against everything, Jensen. It’s just going to take some time to get used to it.”

Jensen nodded, slanting a small, half smile towards his friend. “I know, man, believe me. I know.”

 

 

. . .and apparently Mama wants me to go to yet another meeting on Wednesday   
night. She was really upset, when I told you were flying in and she already knew that! 

I’m getting really frustrated here, Jensen. She won’t leave me alone. I’ve barely had an evening   
this whole trip to myself, or even just to spend time with family! She always has yet another girl   
coming by with her family for dinner, or some social event that I need to go to ‘just in case’.   
Megan thinks it’s hilarious . . . but she’ll get hers in a couple of years!

I’m going crazy here! Save me! PLEASE!!!

I miss you and will meet you at baggage claim around 2:05, hopefully. Text if the plane is going to be late?

Something tells me we aren’t going to have much alone time while you’re here. . . :(

Jared

 

Yawning, Jensen adjusted his bag where it was slung across his shoulder and made his way down the long hall towards baggage claim. It had only been a week and a half since he last saw Jared, but just that little bit of time had been way too long for him. After Jason’s confrontation things had gotten slightly easier—at least he didn’t feel the need to entirely hide the little details from his friend. Adrianne had also been brought into the loop, because Jason couldn’t hide a thing from his mate, let alone something that led to so many conflicting emotions on his part.

Adrianne had been surprisingly okay with everything. She had squealed out of pure excitement before launching into a million questions about his relationship with Jared. In hindsight he figured she might have been grilling him, trying to find some flaw in his story, but in the end there had only been acceptance from her, and she even punched Jason in the arm for still having an ounce of disbelief.

He had been staying with them while the dorms were closed for break. His old room had been turned into an office/guestroom/practice room and they had replaced his queen—he'd sold it to some random student via Craigslist—with a fold out couch. It had still been a bit awkward staying with them, but they were way past the fever stage of their relationship, and their bond was pretty solidified, so it wasn’t like he was privy to their sex life. If they were having sex with him around, they were decent enough to be quiet about it.

The flight to San Antonio had gone off without a hitch; in fact, it was one of the smoothest flights he’d ever been on, which was good, because he normally didn’t like flying. There was no way he was going to stay in California for four entire weeks, however. Flying into San Antonio gave him a night on either side of his family visit to hang out with his mate. It had been Danneel’s grand idea, and he had almost wanted to kiss her for it. Almost.

When he got to baggage claim, he easily spotted Jared. His mate was waiting near the turnaround Jensen’s bag would come down, hands stuffed in his pockets and eyes trailing across the room. He felt him long before he saw him; their bond had been gradually reopening to its full extent as their physical proximity got closer. Their eyes met, and he watched as Jared smiled, dimples appearing, and felt an equally wide smile blossoming across his own face.

It didn’t take long for them to be standing right in front of each other, inches apart. Jensen itched to touch, and he could feel the mirror image of want spilling towards him from Jared.

“Hey.” Jensen stepped back a tad, realizing how close they were. He glanced away, tearing his eyes from Jared’s. Clearing his throat, he continued, “Thanks for picking me up.”

A flash of hurt came from Jared for a split second before realization, and acceptance, and then love replaced it. “No problem. You’re getting me out of my Mama’s clutches for a few hours, what more could I want?”

He could want and _did_ want a lot more than he was verbally implying. Jensen knew it, could feel it to his very core. And Jensen wanted it too, just as much or maybe more. It was hard to tell since their emotions were feeding back into each other.

They made small talk for a few minutes as they waited for Jensen’s bag to appear. It didn’t take too terribly long; apparently Jensen’s flight was a stopover on the way to another airport so there weren’t that many passengers getting off in San Antonio.

Jared snagged it before Jensen could, grinning like a loon before screwing his face up in mock exertion. “What did you do, pack the kitchen sink, Jensen?”

“Nah, man, just my entire wardrobe.” He grinned, moving to take it from his mate, but Jared just danced a few steps ahead and grinned back at him over his shoulder.

Turned out Jared had borrowed his mother’s car to drive to the airport. It wasn’t the biggest car in the world, but the windows were slightly tinted, and Jared had parked it in the most out of the way part of the long term parking garage he could find. He’d also told his mother that he was going to show Jensen around San Antonio a bit before driving home for dinner.

Considering just how happy Jared was to see him again and vice versa, Jensen completely didn’t mind the walk. Even if he did have to change clothes in the car later and then spend an hour driving around with the windows open just to make sure it was entirely aired out. He didn’t mind one bit.

 

 _“Mating is not something to be ashamed of.  
It should not be kept secret, especially not from  
family for mating should be cause for celebration  
no matter what the circumstances that surround it.”  
The Word – Marianna sec 5 line 14_

Jared’s family home was a nice, two story house in a good neighborhood only three blocks away from their church. It was a pale blue with white trim and a beautiful, expertly kept yard. His parents had been tending their own gardens—flower beds in the front and around the back patio and a vegetable garden in the back—since he was little. He’d grown up planting seeds, weeding, watering, and picking vegetables and flowers, although his mother never appreciated the last.

Some of his best childhood memories involved running barefoot across the soil or grass, jumping through sprinklers and chasing after his siblings. For all that his mother could be overbearing at times she did love him, and so did the rest of his family. And he loved them back. There was no place he’d rather be than at home with his family or with Jensen who was just as much his family now as his parents, brother, and sister, even if they couldn’t admit it.

After driving around for a while, touring his favorite parts of San Antonio by car, they finally pulled up into the drive, not long before dinner was supposed to be ready. He shared a smile with Jensen, squeezing their entangled fingers together before pulling away and climbing out of the car.

The sun was low in the sky, already beginning to color the horizon with half a dozen pastel shades. He met Jensen at the trunk, unlocking it so they could retrieve Jensen’s bag and head up to the porch. They were in luck; Jensen was going to stay in his room as Jeff and his mate, Leah, were in town for the holidays, planning on visiting Jeff’s family for Celebration before heading to her parent’s place for New Years.

Megan was waiting for them on the porch when they got there, feet dangling just above the floor as she swung slowly on the porch swing, eyes watching them intently. She was tall for a twelve year old, and for all that she was a sweet girl she was starting to remind Jared a bit of their mother. “You’re _la-ate_.” Was sing-songed to them as they paused in front of the door. Her eyes caught on Jensen and widened, a blush staining her cheeks.

Great, just what Jared needed, his little sister crushing on his secret mate. “Mama said she’d have dinner ready around six. It’s only five thirty at the latest.”

Megan huffed slightly, biting her lip before standing and moving to stand in front of them. “She got done with everything but the pasta early, and you made us wait to eat.”

“I thought I heard you out here!” The front door opened and his mother appeared, smiling brightly at them. “You must be Jensen! Jared’s told us so much about you.”

“Jensen, this is my Mama, Sharon, and my little sister Megan.” He motioned towards his little sister who was attempting to sneak looks at his mate.

“Well come in,” His mother said as she held the door open for them. Megan skittered through first, dashing up the stairs taking two steps at a time. “Let your father and brother know Jared’s back! Dinner in ten minutes!” She called up after the pre-teen, frowning. “And slow down! No running on the stairs!”

Jared laughed, and Jensen followed suit, exchanging nervous smiles. “Mama, I’m gonna show Jensen upstairs so he can put his bag away.”

“All right, but be down in ten. That should be just enough time for the pasta to cook.” She sent him a pointed look and headed towards the kitchen.

The house was nearly immaculate in its cleanliness, but still managed to maintain a homey feeling that Jared had missed while in California. It actually reminded him somewhat of their dorm room. While his initial bout of organization and cleanliness had fallen by the wayside following their fever, Jensen was nearly OCD when it came to keeping things clean. Jared could get away with tossing his clothes on the ground during sex or overnight, but in the morning—or the next afternoon depending on their schedule—they were inevitably sequestered away in a hamper.

Bumping his shoulder against his mate, he jerked his head towards the stairs. “C’mon, let’s put your stuff away.”

While not huge, the house was a pretty good size. There were three bedrooms upstairs—the master, Jared’s, and Megan’s—and one downstairs that used to be Jeff’s before it was converted into a guestroom/office. Jared’s bedroom was at the top of the stairs and just to the right. It wasn’t an extremely large room, his bed was just a full size, but it was big enough. His mother had apparently taken the time to set up an air mattress on the floor while he was gone, which took up most the remaining space.

Jensen set his luggage down at the end of the bed as Jared shut the door. “No lock,” he said, sighing. “My parents don’t think it’s appropriate, and that it’d be a fire hazard.”

Collapsing on the end of the bed, leaning back, Jensen shrugged. “No big deal . . . we can hold out.” He reached a hand out, and Jared stepped forward, taking it and intertwining their fingers. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too, Jensen.” Jared stepped forward and pulled Jensen up. “God, I missed you so much.” Leaning down he captured Jensen in a kiss. It wasn’t as heated as their earlier make out/orgasm session, but it was still very passionate.

He slid his tongue into Jensen’s mouth, caressing his mate’s tongue and palate. Jensen tangled one hand in his hair, while the other grappled at his shirt, bunching the fabric at the middle of his back. After only a moment they broke apart, and Jared stepped away so they could both calm down a little.

“No time right now,” Jared sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Dinner . . . my Mama’ll send someone looking if we aren’t down there soon.”

“Yeah,” Jensen nodded, and Jared could read his disappointment. His mate was practically pouting.

Dinner went much easier than Jared expected it to. He sat next to Jensen, and they hooked their feet together, ankles brushing, and Jensen’s foot resting over his. It was better than nothing and in some ways better than meals in the cafeteria back at college. Here they were actually able to touch some, thanks to a long tablecloth, and a long table. His family asked questions and they regaled them with a few stories, mostly about dorm pranks—some made up—how classes were, and the few times they’d seen mates meeting over the past few months.

The last bit had led to a slightly awkward conversation about the fact that Jensen ‘didn’t have a mate’ yet, but Jared had sent him a great deal encouragement. They’d both managed to make it through the conversation without too many issues.

“Well,” his mother had started towards the end of dinner, “there is a social party tonight. I was thinking you could both go, and you could introduce Jensen to some of the lovely girls you ran into the other night?”

“ _Mama_ ,” Jared groaned, but Jensen interrupted him before he could initiate an argument.

“Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Padalecki—”

“Call me Sharon.”

“—Sharon,” Jensen nodded slightly before continuing, “I’m actually pretty tired. I’m not sure I’m up to a night out after flying earlier. I’m not really keen on airplanes.”

“Oh!” She turned a pointed look towards Jared. “Why didn’t you say so? You’re more than welcome to head upstairs to rest. The kitchen is open, whenever you get hungry or thirsty. Just make yourself at home.”

“Thank you.” Jensen smiled, nodding his thanks. “I appreciate it. I’m not that tired, though; I just don’t feel like going out tonight is all.”

“Plus we were going to watch the movie Dad said he picked up the other day.” Jared glanced toward his brother and then to Jensen. “The one about the human that mates with an alien . . . what was it called again?”

“Aurora,” Megan piped in excitedly, perking up in her seat.

“Is that alright with you and Leah, Jeff?”

“Yeah.” His brother shrugged, glancing at Leah who nodded. “We’ll join you guys.”

His mother huffed audibly, setting her fork down on a nearly clean plate. “I just don’t understand how you can watch such inane drivel. Mating with another species is just preposterous!”

“It’s just fantasy, Sharon,” his father spoke up. “It’s not like it is real life.” Turning to Jared, he continued, “We should watch it in the family room. I replaced the sound system a couple of months ago, but none of the other films we have can show off its full potential.”

 

 _“The mate of your child shall always be welcome  
within the walls of your home unless he or she  
has committed one of the unforgivable sins.  
The Word – Sansori sec 2 line 13_

“Your family is different than I expected.” Jensen sat down on the edge of Jared’s bed and started untying his shoes.

Raising an eyebrow, Jared started getting undressed. “How so?” He asked while toeing off his own shoes and beginning to shuck off his jeans.

“I don’t know,” Jensen replied, removing his own jeans. “I guess I just expected them to be a little more . . . uptight?”

“Nah,” Jared chuckled. He kicked his pants to the side along with his shoes and stepped over the air mattress so he could sit next to his mate on the bed. “I mean my Mama is, at least when it comes to the Church and mating, but my Dad’s pretty laid back. He does tend to follow her lead though.”

“Ever wonder what it’d be like?”

“Telling them?” He asked, turning to face Jensen.

“How do you think they’d take it?” Jensen tossed his shoes to the other side of the room and leaned back on his elbows.

“Well my Mama would freak out.” Jared ducked his head, gaze sliding over Jensen’s body. “Hard to tell how Dad and Jeff would react.” He paused, considering it. “I think Megan would just be disappointed that she wouldn’t have a shot at you in three years.”

“Ugh.” Jensen’s face screwed up, nose wrinkling. “Bad, wrong, _bad_. Thanks for that image.”

“Sorry,” He replied, a grin belying his true feelings. Adjusting himself, he lay down on the bed and pulled one leg up till the knee brushed against Jensen’s hip. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Reaching out, Jensen snagged Jared’s hand and squeezed it gently. “For coming to visit you? For being here? You’re my mate Jared, there’s no place I’d rather be.” Stopping, he continued, a sheepish look growing on his face. “Besides I was driving Jason and Adi crazy . . . I think they would have put me on a plane out here, even if I hadn’t already planned to come.”

“What?” Jared propped himself up on his elbow, leaning over Jensen.

Sighing, he lifted their clasped hands up so he could examine them. “Jason confronted me and I couldn’t think of anything else to say. So I told him about us . . . not _everything_ , but the basics.”

“The basics?”

“That we’re mated, and that I missed you and how we mated.” Jensen lifted his eyes back up to meet Jared’s. “Enough so that he and Adi believed me, but not that they knew about Nimoy & Shatner and everything."

Jared was quiet for a moment, contemplating. They’d been warned about including too many people in the truth, and about being careful who they did choose to tell, but Jason was Jensen’s best friend and he could understand why Jensen decided to tell him. If Chad had lived near them instead of going to school in Texas, he’d have found it difficult to hide the truth from him as well. And the same in regards to his family. Even just being at home with Jensen for one night was difficult enough, especially with Jeff and Leah around.

During the movie he’d noticed the small movements and touches his brother was able to share with her, things that he wished he could do with Jensen without causing trouble. Even squished together on the couch as they’d been, shoulders and thighs pressed tight, it hadn’t been enough.

He’d itched to snag Jensen’s hand, lean into him, or even to just settle an arm around his shoulder and reel him in.

Tilting his head, he leaned down and pressed his lips against Jensen’s, enjoying the feel for a moment before pulling back. “It’ll be nice to be able to hang out with them without worrying about every little thing.”

Jensen had relaxed at that, relief teasing along their bond beneath the other, stronger emotions. Reaching out, he cupped a hand around the back of Jared’s neck, fingers tangling in his hair, and pulled him forward. “Yeah it will.”

They kissed again, nipping and sucking lightly on each other’s lips; tongues pressed together, remapping each other’s mouths. Jared’s body burned for more, and, mid kiss, he trailed his hands down Jensen’s body, until he could slide them under the hem of his shirt. Breaking the kiss for a second, he tugged the shirt up and over Jensen’s head, before reclaiming his lips and sliding his hands back down to brush over nipples, and caress over skin and muscles.

Nipping at the side of his mouth, Jensen broke the kiss to trail kisses over Jared’s jaw to his ear. He sucked gently on the lobe, pulling it into his mouth and teasing it with his tongue and teeth before letting go and pressing a kiss just below it, paying attention to the skin, but not enough to leave a mark.

Jared slid his hands over Jensen’s chest, taking a moment to tease his nipples before moving on, smoothing over muscles till he reached the waistband of his boxers. Slipping one hand to his mate’s back, he pulled them ever-so-slightly closer, while his other hand disappeared beneath the elastic to wrap around Jensen’s cock.

Jensen bit him then, nipping at his skin before tilting his head back to peer at Jared through half-lidded eyes as he rocked his hips forward. His jaw clenched, holding back a moan as Jared teased over Jensen’s flesh.

He captured his mate’s lips in a kiss, somehow managing to tantalize Jensen’s mouth open under his, swallowing the sounds he made. Being quiet wasn’t something they were very good at, even months after the fever, they hadn’t gotten the hang of it. They usually found some ways to muffle the sounds, often with loud music or the television, and occasionally with a sock. Out of the two of them, Jared thought Jensen was the loudest, but his mate would probably challenge that if he were to ever speak the thought aloud.

When Jensen came he bit down, gently, on Jared’s bottom lip, pressing it against his own. The pressure only lasted a second, before he released Jared’s mouth entirely, panting and sighing as he came down from his orgasm and leaned back on the bed.

Grinning, Jared gently eased him through the orgasm, stroking him gently through it till Jensen hissed uncomfortably, his cock oversensitive immediately following his climax. He pulled his hands from the boxers and wiped it on a dry portion of the fabric before helping Jensen out of them, doing his best not to let the sticky fabric slide against his mate’s skin.

After tossing the garment towards Jensen’s bag on the other side of the room—and to a place that hopefully wouldn’t be visible from the door—he leaned down and kissed Jensen lightly. His mate was already falling asleep, obviously tired from the flight and meeting Jared’s family. “You falling asleep on me?”

“Mmm,” Jensen murmured, blinking his eyes open. “Sorry.”

“Hey,” Jared grinned and rested his forehead against Jensen’s, “don’t worry about it. Get some sleep . . . you don’t have to leave too early, do you?”

“I’ll wake you.” Jensen’s eyes drifted shut, and he sighed, his breath fanning out against Jared’s lips and cheeks. “Need a ride to the car rental place, anyway.”

Not wanting Jensen to wake up uncomfortable due to dried come, Jared slipped out of bed and across the hall to the bathroom. He took the time to use it and brush his teeth, thoroughly washing his own hands before wetting a wash cloth with warm water. Crossing the hall, he slipped through the door, closed it, and paused at the sight of Jensen sprawled across his bed. It was strange seeing his mate lying naked and completely relaxed on his childhood bed, the one he’d spent half a decade in—his parents had bought it for him when he started to shoot up in height during middle school, figuring he’d probably end up as tall as Jeff—dreaming of the day he’d find his mate and bringing himself to climax with the thoughts.

A smile crept across his lips and he shuffled to the bed, removing the pants he’d hastily pulled on to go across the hall. He tugged gently at Jensen’s shoulder as he slid onto the bed, getting him to roll over just enough so that he could run the cloth over him, cleaning him gently. When he was done, he tossed it away and settled down, pulling Jensen closer.

Green eyes slit open to look at him, a small grin appearing on Jensen’s lips. His hair was ruffled, and, though Jared wouldn’t say it aloud, he thought the older man was adorable, especially with the freckles on his cheeks and nose.

“Go back to sleep,” he murmured, leaning in to press a kiss to Jensen’s forehead and then the tip of his nose, before catching Jensen’s lips in a closed mouthed kiss.

Jensen responded slowly, his lips barely moving against Jared’s. He hummed a little and pulled away, settling down against Jared’s chest, nuzzling tiredly at his collar bone.

Tightening an arm around Jensen’s back, Jared pulled the comforter up to cover them and relaxed back into the bed and pillows. He’d missed this place, especially his pillows. He’d have to remember to snag them before his flight home.

 

 _“To sleep in the arms of your mate is  
the closest thing to Paradise that man can  
experience while still on earth  
The Word – Lucas sec 6 line 2_

Waking up to the feel of warmth and wet and his mate’s mouth surrounding him was on Jared’s top ten list of best things ever. He wasn’t entirely sure which number it was, but it was definitely in the top five.

As he came out of a very good dream, he realized that it wasn’t just a dream after all. Jensen’s arm was slung across his hips, keeping him from bucking up into his mouth and choking him as his tongue teased the head of Jared’s cock, and his mouth bobbed down onto him. Jared gasped, panting out a breathy moan as one of his hands found Jensen’s head, cupping the back and tangling into his mate’s short hair; the other clenched in the fabric.

Jensen hummed around him, face tilting up just enough that Jared could see his eyes, and the grin they held. His free hand was wrapped around the base of Jared’s cock, sliding up and down as Jensen moved. A sense of mischievousness filtered across the bond and he knew Jensen was proud he’d managed to wake him up in this manner. He wasn’t sure how long Jensen had been at it, but he was aroused enough, and Jensen knew him well enough that it didn’t take long before he was coming, spilling into Jensen’s mouth and biting his fist in order to make the least bit of noise possible.

Relaxing back against the pillows, he reached out to grasp at Jensen and pull him up. He came easily, sliding up to lay against Jared, chest to chest. Their legs tangled together and noses nearly brushed.

“Morning.” Jensen smiled at him. “Told you I’d wake you up.”

“You’re in a good mood.” Jared quirked an eyebrow up.

"Just trying to make the most of what time we have left before I have to head to Dallas.” Jensen sighed and rocked forward a little, his hard on pressing against Jared’s hip.

“What time is it?” Jared turned his head, lifting up slightly to peer at his old alarm clock.

“Almost nine.” Jensen slipped a hand up to cup Jared’s cheek and turned his face back to him. “I was thinking I’d take off around noon.”

Jared pouted a little at that, loath as he was to admit it, but perked up a bit as Jensen leaned forward to press their lips together. It was a close mouthed kiss, and Jensen pulled away after a moment, nose wrinkling.

“We should brush our teeth.”

“What about . . .” Jared trailed off as his hand slipped between them and grasped Jensen’s cock, causing the other man to suck in a breath, eyes fluttering. Grinning, he rolled them over, pressing against Jensen’s side as his hand started a familiar rhythm, his fingers knowing all the right places to press, caress, and tease to elicit a response.

Leaning down, he kissed Jensen lightly, before making his way down to his mate’s neck, once again finding just the right places to leave Jensen gasping and moaning in pleasure. After a few minutes of slow and methodical, he sped up his hand, fingers darting over the head, lightly teasing every few strokes.

The tell-tale signs of Jensen’s impending orgasm were there and Jared pulled back from his neck to watch his lover's face, their eyes meeting. Jensen was close; Jared had no doubt about that. Just before he came, Jared leaned down and captured his mouth, forcing his tongue past lips and fucking gently into his mouth, swallowing the near shout.

The kiss lasted longer than any of the others had that morning, even though both of them sorely needed to brush their teeth. Jared could taste himself on Jensen’s tongue, a bitter and slightly unpleasant taste, but one he’d been growing used to over the past few months.

Breaking it, he leaned his forehead against Jensen’s and slipped his come covered hand up his mates chest to settle against his stomach, pressing lightly against the relaxed lines of his abs.

The door clicked shut then, startling them both. Jared sat up, pulling his eyes away from Jensen’s, his eyes locked on the basketball poster that had been on the back of the door since his freshman year of high school. “Shit. Who?”

Jensen was scrambling up next to him, embarrassment flooding through their bond, and Jared knew without looking at him he was flushed beet red. “Fuck. _Fuck_ . . . What are we going to do? What—” He stumbled over his jeans as he headed for his bag.

“Wait.” Jared followed him, snagging him around the waist and pulling him back against his chest. He dropped his chin onto Jensen’s shoulder, eyes closed as he nuzzled against the skin behind his ear. “Stop it. We’ll deal.” Even though his heart was hammering in his chest, he did his best to remain calm, extending that over their bond.

“Who do you think it was?” Jensen relaxed slightly against him, and they both paused, quieting as they listened for any sound or indication that someone was freaking out or going to make a big deal about them.

“Could be Megan or Jeff or . . . anyone but my dad or Leah, probably.” Jared pulled away, knowing that Jensen was calm enough that he wasn’t going to completely freak out anymore. “I doubt Leah would come in without knocking, and my Dad goes to work at seven.” He bit his lip and ran a hand over his face, watching as Jensen riffled through his suitcase, trying to find something to wear.

“So Megan, Jeff, or,” Jensen paused, a fresh pair of jeans and boxers clenched in his hand, “your mother?”

Jared blanched and hurried over to his dresser to find something to pull on. Out of the three main possibilities . . . he prayed to God it hadn’t been his mother.

 

 _“Upon finding your mate you will gain  
a second family. You will be welcomed into  
their home as a new child or sibling would be.”  
The Word – Rhia sec 19 line 8_

Jensen pulled the shirt over his head, fumbling with the buttons. Sure, Jared had managed to calm him down some, but he couldn’t help the undercurrent of worry and, obviously, neither could Jared. He double checked his pants before turning to face his mate, watching as Jared finished tugging on his jeans.

“We—I—should probably take a shower.” He glanced towards the door, his hesitance more than evident.

“Yeah.” Jared turned to face him. His cheeks were somewhat flushed and even his earlier confidence had started to waver. “You want to take one while I go . . .” Waving his hand in the air, he bit his lip, worrying it between his teeth.

Nodding, Jensen sighed and stepped towards the door. “Where are the—”

“In the cupboard to the left of the toilet,” Jared answered before he could finish.

“Thanks.”

Slipping out the door, he glanced down the hall, thankful no one was standing around. Apparently whoever had walked in on them-- _God_ , he missed their dorm room and its lock—hadn’t stuck around to face them.

His shower didn’t take long, not that he wanted to take his time, and he quickly dressed back into his clothes, toweling his hair dry. The hall was quiet, but Jared wasn’t in his room. Dropping his towel on the floor, he slipped back into the hall, intent on finding his mate.

Jared’s emotions were mixed, but they were clear and they worried Jensen a bit with their intensity. His mate was upset, not in a rage, but still quite angry with whoever he was speaking to. It wasn’t like Jensen expected the person to be all that happy about them—it was a big deal for someone to find out what they were to each other and, considering everything, it wasn’t hard to believe that it would be difficult for them to accept it. After all, same-sex pairs were supposedly nothing more than fiction and lies.

He found Jared down the hall inside Megan’s room, both the bond, and the hushed but rough edged voices leading him there. Jensen pushed the door open hesitantly, causing everyone to quiet down inside.

They all turned to look, and Jensen couldn’t help the heat that rose to his cheeks. Jared wasn’t alone, and it wasn’t just Megan with him. His sister was on the bed, sitting against the headboard, a pillow pulled tight to her chest. There were tears tracking down her cheeks, and she was clearly upset. It didn’t take much for Jensen to put it all together and realize that she had been the one that walked in on them. Jeff was also there though, angry lines darkening the features of his face as he stood in front of Jared, angled just enough that he was nearly blocking Megan from their sibling.

Jensen met his mate’s eyes, and could feel the hurt and despair building inside him. Turning, he shut the door before moving to stand next to his mate. He sent as much comfort and support as he could to Jared and, glancing towards Jeff, purposefully snagged Jared’s hand with his own, tangling their fingers together. It wasn’t as if Jeff and Megan didn’t know already. There wasn’t a reason to keep up all the pretenses anymore.

Jeff’s eyes narrowed, and he redirected his gaze from Jared to Jensen. “Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?”

“He’s my mate.” Jared spoke before Jensen could say anything, his fingers tightening around Jensen’s.

Megan squeaked a little, or at least that was what it sounded like. Darting glance towards the pre-teen, Jensen realized she had buried her face into her pillow, arms tightening around her knees.

“Are you kidding me? This is some kind of joke . . . Jared, think about what you’re saying.” Jeff gestured wildly between them. “It’s impossible! You’re both _men_.”

“Not impossible.” Jared shook his head, a harsh laugh escaping his lips. “Just improbable.” It was something that their mentors had told them weeks ago. A joke that Dominic loved to say, when they talked about the statistics of same-sex mating, and how hard it was for families and friends to accept the truth, even with it standing right in front of them. “He’s my mate and has been since the first time I laid eyes on him.” He turned to Jensen and their eyes met. “Since my second day in the dorms.”

“No—”

“It’s the truth.” Jensen turned, speaking up for the first time. “Do you think that either of us would _joke_ about this? Do you think we would have wanted this before . . .?”

“You’re insane.” Jeff said after a moment, stepping forward slightly, his hands clenching into fists. “What you’re saying is nothing more than lies. You’ve been tricked somehow. If not just you, Jared, then both of you. Think about it. The Word even says that ‘ _it is impossible for those of the same sex to be joined together for all of eternity_ ’ and that ‘ _those who claim otherwise are blasphemers, and will be punished accordingly in the next life_ ’.”

“It also says a lot of other stuff, especially about the food we’re supposed to eat and not eat, and yet the beef industry is going strong,” Jensen pointed out, his hand clenching tight around Jared’s.

“We have thought about it. We’ve done nothing more than think about it for _months_. We _are_ mates, and nothing anyone says is going to change that,” Jared said, his voice wavering with the frustration of not being believed.

Jeff shook his head, eyes shut, trying to process everything.

“Well,” Leah spoke up from behind them, causing Jensen and Jared to turn towards her, startled. Yet again they hadn’t heard the door open. “If you could start from the beginning, maybe we could all sit down and hear you out. I always enjoy a good mating story.”


	6. Part Six

_“To be separated from ones mate, for longer than the  
time it takes for the sun to cross the horizon once, should be  
avoided as much as possible for to be apart is to be missing a limb.  
Your mate is the second half of your soul.”  
The Word – Lucas sec 15 line 12_

Dropping Jensen off at the car rental shop and watching him drive off was one of the hardest things Jared had ever done. Even though he knew it would only be a week and a couple days till he saw his mate again, that didn’t make it any easier for him.

Sitting down with his brother, Megan, and Leah had probably been the second hardest thing, but that had come close to topping it. At least his mother hadn’t come to investigate what was going on—she was too focused on organizing events on the phone downstairs. Jared had two more parties to attend before Celebration, and that wasn’t including the church event the night before the holiday.

Leah had been the voice of reason during the discussion, and for that Jared was thankful. He was also extremely glad that his brother had mated with her, an opinion he hadn’t had the first time they met years ago. She was a sweet girl and very logical, too. Rather than act on her disbelief, she insisted they all sit down and talk things through—ask and answer questions. Plus, she knew exactly what to ask regarding the mating bond, but then she was almost finished with her nursing degree and was specializing in mating, and the testing that was done following the fever to check and classify the bond.

In the end, Jeff had to accept that Jensen was Jared’s mate, even if he hadn’t wanted to and didn’t understand how it was possible. There was still disbelief evident in how he’d eyed them, watching their every move, until they’d headed out the door to go to the rental store, but Jared couldn’t fault him for that. His world had just been turned upside down, and that was something Jared understood very well.

Megan, on the other hand, had been much more accepting of them and to some extent had been rather excited at the prospect of Jensen being a part of their family—even if it was as Jared’s mate and not hers. Although she had been a little curious and worried as well; at one point she’d gasped, interrupting something Jensen was saying to Leah in order to ask, “What if I mate with a _girl_?!”. Overall she'd taken it pretty well and had been pretty supportive, Leah too.

Arriving home after watching Jensen drive off was almost more difficult than telling them in the first place. His bond was stretching, fading to the point that he could barely feel Jensen’s emotions peeking through over the distance again.

“You okay?” Megan asked, biting her lip as she opened the door, before he could even slip his key into the lock.

He blinked at her, startled, and smiled a bit. Reaching out he ruffled her hair, causing her to scowl at him and try to press her frizzy curls down flat. “Yeah, it’s just a bit difficult at first.”

“Does it hurt?” Her lips twisted with worry as she stepped back to let him in.

Jared frowned. “Hurt?” It dawned on him then, what she meant, and he shook his head. “No! No . . . it’s just different. I miss him and—”

“Miss who?” His mother appeared, drying her hands with a towel as she walked into the room. “Oh good, you’re home. Mrs. Bledel just called and asked if we could bring some finger foods tonight, berries or vegetables . . . or even some melons if the store has some. Would you mind picking them up?”

Jared sighed, wincing a little, but nodded, “Yeah, I—”

“Actually he can’t.” Jeff’s voice startled him. Looking up he spotted his brother and Leah coming down the stairs. “I’m taking him and Meg out for some sibling bonding tonight. It’s been a while since we last hung out, just the three of us.” He smiled at them before turning to their mother. “I figured we could get some food and go to the movies or something.”

“Well,” she frowned, looking between her sons. “I did promise Mrs. Bledel. What if—”

“There’s only going to be, what, two or three girls Jared hasn’t met before at this party?” Jeff looked over at his brother and rolled his eyes a little. “He’s more likely to meet someone going out with us. I’m sure these girls will be at one of the other parties this week anyway. And if not, then it isn’t meant to be.”

“Please Mama?” Megan piped in, jumping a little on her toes. “Jeff and Jared are _never_ here at the same time . . . it’s been forever since we had fun together!”

Sighing, Sharon nodded, relenting, “Oh all right . . . I guess. Just nothing above Megan’s age level.”

Megan scowled at that, and Jared chuckled a little, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m serious. She doesn’t need to have certain things in her mind, corrupting her.” Sharon glanced between them. “It’s bad enough you two don’t listen to me all the time. I don’t need her following in your footsteps.”

“Sharon,” Leah interrupted, stepping forward, “I’d love to help you with the food for tonight, if you’d like? After all, you did promise Mrs. Bledel. It’d be horrible to leave her out to dry.

A smile lit up his mother’s face, and she nodded. “Thank you, hon. It’s good to know I can count on _someone_ in this family.”

Leah sidled up to her and started a discussion about what they should buy and how they dhould cut and arrange it, leading her out of the room and towards the kitchen.

“Thank you.” Jared turned to his brother. There was so much relief flowing through him that Jensen could probably feel it miles away.

“Don’t mention it.” Jeff settled a hand on his shoulder and sighed. “I figure we still need to talk,” he glanced at Megan before meeting Jared’s eyes dead on, a small smile tugging the edge of his lips up, “and it has been a while since we spent time together Now is as good a time as any to get to know my little brother again, especially with all the changes going on in your life.”

 

 _“A parent’s home should always be open,  
ready to welcome their children to sit before the hearth  
no matter what length of time has passed.”  
The Word – Sansori sec 11 line 10_

The last time Jensen was home it had been to say goodbye to his grandmother as she made arrangements in order to follow her mate into the afterlife. In some ways that had been a joyous occasion, knowing that your loved one was rejoining their other half in a better place. But now, after everything he’d learned, Jensen was starting to doubt the veracity of the faith he’d been brought up in. It was hard not to, even after all the points Billy had made to them during their mentoring discussions that tried to lend credence to the faith—the man was still a staunch believer after mating with Dominic—that told them his relationship with Jared was impossible and blasphemy to claim.

If the portion of the word that claimed same-sex couples did not and _could never_ exist was wrong, how could any of it be right? It was a difficult conundrum, and he was still dealing with it, unsure as to what he should think anymore.

Jensen’s parents lived up in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas; in a nice, two story house that they’d been in since he turned eleven. They’d moved when his sister was four, wanting her to have a room all to herself without having to make Jensen and his older brother, Josh, share. There were two cars parked in the drive when he pulled up, his father’s old pickup, which had served as a first car for both Jensen and his brother, and his mother’s SUV. That meant his dad was probably still at work.

Climbing out, he snagged his luggage from the back seat and headed towards the house. He wasn’t even to the front steps, before the door opened and a blond-blur was ramming into his middle, arms slotting around his waist, face burrowing into his chest with a delighted squeal. Jensen stumbled back a few steps, nearly dropping his bags.

“You’re home!” Mackenzie grinned up at him.

“Hey, Mack.” He dropped his bags and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground and squeezing tightly.

She squealed and slapped at his back, before he finally let her go. “Loser! You never answered my emails!”

“Yeah I did.” He frowned at her, knowing full well what she was getting at.

“Half a sentence is not an answer!” She pouted at him, stepping back and placing her hands on her hips.

“And an email filled with middle school gossip isn’t all that interesting.”

Jensen glanced up at the new voice and smiled. His mother was standing on the porch, watching them with a smile on her face.

“Mooom!” Mackenzie turned to her, pouting indignantly.

“I kind of have to agree, pipsqueak.” Jensen leaned down and grabbed his bags from the ground. “High school, on the other hand, is when things actually start to get interesting.” He winked at her and got an eye roll in response.

“Come on in.” His mother waved him towards the house. “I put clean sheets on your bed, and your sister dusted. I’d leave the window open for a bit to make sure it airs out . . . it’s been too long since you were home.

“I was here over the summer.” He ducked his head and followed her into the house.

She was quiet for a moment and then turned towards him. “It wasn’t the same, Jensen. You know that.”

The mood in the room changed slightly, and he nodded, adjusting his grip on his bags. “Yeah, I know.”

Very little about the house had changed; it was still homey with a bit too much clutter trying to pass for decorations on every surface. His room was almost exactly the way it had been in high school. There were photos, neatly spaced out on every wall along with a couple of sports posters. The desk was clean—even cleaner than his dorm room desk thanks to disuse—but there was a stack of books on one side, titles that had been required reading for his senior year English class.

He dropped his bags near the closet and eyed the room. It was little chilly due to the open window, but not too cold. The bed was made up nicely, only a few wrinkles around the edges. Sighing, he grabbed his backpack and moved to the desk to set up his computer.

The events of that morning were still ringing through the back of his mind, and it was hard for him to believe that they had gone even as well as they’d seemed to. When Jensen had left his mate’s family home, Jeff had still been standoffish to him, a stark contrast to his welcoming smile and handshake from just the day before.

Jared wasn’t online, but he did have an email from him. Apparently he was spending the evening with his siblings. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Jensen typed back a short reply. Hopefully they’d both have time—and space—to talk on the phone for a bit later that night. They had yet to really discuss everything, and Jensen wanted to make sure things were going okay for Jared now that Jeff, Megan, and Leah knew the truth.

A knock on the door startled him from his thoughts. Switching his browser quickly to a search engine, he turned towards the door. “Come in.”

“Hey.” Mackenzie pushed the door open. “Mom wanted me to tell you we’re meeting dad, Josh, and Shelly at some French sounding place in about an hour for dinner. She said you should wear something nice and respectable.”

“Nice and _respectable_?” Jensen raised an eyebrow, pushing his chair back from the desk and turning to her.

She slipped into the room, leaned against the door jamb, and shrugged. “That’s what she said. I think she meant, like, slacks and—”

“I got it.” Jensen smiled, chuckling as he waved a hand to interrupt her. “No jeans or missing buttons.”

“Right,” Mackenzie nodded and wrinkled her nose. “She’s making me wear a _skirt_.”

“Oh, _no!_ It’s the _end_ of the _world_!”

Shse glared at him and stepped away from the door, placing her hands on her hips. “Not funny.”

“Yeah,” Jensen nodded, grin widening, “it kind of is.”

“Why can’t we just eat at home?” Her lips twisted into a pout, and she crossed her arms. “Or at Mitchel's?”

“It’s the holidays, and there aren’t any kids in the family anymore.” Jensen leaned back in the chair, settling his arms on the rests. “If Mom and Dad want to have a fancy holiday dinner with the family, then we shouldn’t complain . . . besides, have you looked up the menu for this place?”

“No.” Mackenzie frowned and tilted her head, eyes slanting. “Why?”

“Well, Miss Chocoholic, you should look up the desert menu. If it’s the place I’m thinking of they have flourless chocolate cake to die for . . . and I’m sure with a little bit of effort on your part,” he mimed a puppy-dog face, “Dad’ll buy it for you.”

 

 _“For on this day God sent his mate to us,  
to show us the correct way in which to live  
and the manner in which our destined  
mates should be treated.”  
The Word – Lucas sec 1 line 4_

Jensen only been to Aile d'Ange once and that was for his graduation dinner. Both sets of his grandparents, parents, and Josh and Shelly had all been there. Mackenzie, at ten years old, had been left with a babysitter for the evening. It was just as fancy, if not more so due to some remodeling, as he remembered it being.

His dad was waiting for them when they arrived, and they were seated at a table near a long window that had a nice view of the city and the setting sun. Josh and his mate arrived a few minutes after they were already seated, and Jensen’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw them. He wasn’t sure if he should get up or stay seated to greet them, but chose the latter.

“Hey bro.” Josh smiled at him, settling a hand on his shoulder after helping Shelly into her seat.

“Congratulations?” Jensen ventured, a smile working its way onto his face.

“Thanks.” Josh had the grace to look ashamed. “We were going to tell you earlier but . . .” he trailed off, looking at his mate who rolled her eyes.

“It was touch and go for a while.” She glanced down at her hands. “We didn’t tell anyone till just a few weeks ago.”

Jensen nodded. This wasn’t Shelly’s first pregnancy, and the last time had been really rough, to put it mildly. They’d lost the baby at about twenty six weeks, and they’d already told everyone about it and made up a nursery, when she’d miscarried.

“The doctor has her on a pretty strict—”

“Everything,” Shelly interrupted with a slight huff. To Jensen it didn’t look as if she was actually all that annoyed with it, though, more like she was providing a typical retort.

Josh smiled and nodded, reaching out to take her hand in his. “He said everything is looking good now, so hopefully it will all work out well.”

“That’s great,” Jensen nodded, and he was saved from pressing forward with the conversation by the waiter arriving.

The evening went like any other family gather from then on, gossip about family and friends and news about acquaintances—especially people Jensen grew up with, and whether or not they’d mated yet—was the mainstay of the conversation. Mackenzie piped in a couple times, trying to direct the conversation into areas she cared about or to relay major events related to school or her own friends and their families. Turned out a couple of Jensen’s friends from high school had mated, one of whom had done so recently and he was invited to join in the mating celebration the week after next. He shook his head, declining. Jensen was only planning to stay for a little over a week, and, if he did stay, it was likely that it’d be another three weeks till he saw Jared. And that just wasn’t something he could live with.

After dinner, and a very delicious desert, they headed home. On the way to the car, Josh caught his arm, stopping him a ways back from their family.

“Are you all right?”

Jensen blinked and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Are you all right?” Josh repeated, his eyes scrutinizing Jensen’s response.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“You just seem . . .” Josh trailed off before sighing. “Different.”

Jensen’s insides froze and he wondered what he’d been doing, how he’d been acting that had thrown up alarm bells for his brother. “Dude, it’s been months since we last saw each other and years since we spent a lot of time together. Of _course_ I’ve changed.”

“No, it’s not—” Josh stopped again. “Have you . . . no. You would have said if you did.”

“Have I what?” Jensen’s brow furrows and he frowned.

“Nothing,” Josh shook his head. He looked up when Shelly called his name from where she was waiting next to their car. “I should get going. Call me though, we should hang out. Like you said, it’s been a long time.”

“Will do,” Jensen nodded and watched as his brother walked off before jogging to catch up with his parents and Mackenzie.

 

 _“Celebration Day has been observed for nearly a thousand  
years in its current incarnation. While some of the exact traditions  
have been adapted over time, it harkens back to the same story.  
_

 _The story of God sending his beloved Mate to live among us and show  
us the ills of how mates of differing social classes were treated and how  
domination and submission were not the correct way to treat  
God’s greatest gift to us: the uniting of men and women in mated pairs.”  
_

 _Excerpt from the History of Celebration Day  
Ronald M. Milson. New York: Horizon Press, 2001_

Celebration Day, or just Celebration, was a big deal. It marked the end of an era, and the beginning of a new. It wasn’t the same as the New Year, although Jared often wondered why the two holidays couldn’t just be combined to save money and time. They woke up early on Celebration morning, his mother insisting they go to church in order to take part in the early service—even though they’d gone the night before—in order to celebrate God’s Mate being sent down to Earth in order to put humanity back on the correct course.

It was a quiet morning and rather uneventful. The pastor went through his usual sermon, they recited the usual prayers, and accepted the communion—a symbol of God’s connection to humanity for sacrificing his Mate. There was a short meet and greet near the end, wherein all those who had yet to mate of suitable age were asked to come up front while everyone chatted for a few moments. Just before returning to their seats, the pastor had the congregation pray over them, a yearly ceremony to bless them so they would, hopefully, find their mate in the year to come.

They didn’t stay for brunch, much to his mother’s chagrin, as both sets of his grandparents were driving into town, and his father wanted to make sure they were home before they arrived. When it came to Grandpa Padalecki, you never knew if he was going to be two hours early or three hours later than he’d said. He was never on time.

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of the church was fine with Jared. It wasn’t like he was looking for a mate, and it seemed like every time he turned around someone was trying to set up a time for him to meet yet another unmated relative or friend, or friend of a friend. The whole experience was awkward as could be, and he was tired of it.

While Jeff had saved him that one night, his mother hadn’t relented at all. In fact, Jared could have sworn she was working double time to find more parties and meet ups for him to attend. He was half tempted to just tell her about Jensen, but he knew that would be a really bad idea. Not only was she unlikely to believe him, but when she finally did, she’d be utterly heart broken. Jared loved his Mama, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, no matter how obnoxious she was being.

It wasn’t until just before midnight that he finally got a moment away from the festivities to call Jensen. Between his grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, cousins, and siblings . . . his day had been chocked full of things to do and people to talk with. Most of his family left for their own homes or hotels just after ten, though, and then he had spent a little under an hour helping clean up after everyone.

He dropped onto his bed as he hit the first speed dial and pressed his cell phone to his ear. It only rang one and a half times, before the ring tone was interrupted and Jensen’s low voice answered.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Jared answered, a smile tugging the edges of his lips up. While they might not have been within touching distance or close enough to feel each other’s emotions, hearing Jensen’s voice in his ear still made him feel better. “How was your Celebration Day?”

“S’alright. Would have been better if . . .”

“Yeah, it would have.” He agreed, breathing out a sigh. Idly, Jared wondered if they’d ever be able to celebrate the holiday _together_. Rolling onto his side, he adjusted the phone to rest against his other ear. “Miss you.”

“Me too.” Jensen was quiet for a moment and Jared could hear fabric rustling on the other end of the line. “What’d you get?”

“Hmm?” Jared hummed as his free hand scratched over his chest. “Oh, a couple hundred dollars and a few gift cards. How do you feel about Red Robin?”

“I could go for a hamburger,” Jensen yawned, static rustling over the line as he spoke.

“What about you?”

“The same only most of the gift cards are for places like Wal-Mart or Target,” chuckling, Jensen continued, “apparently I need some new clothes.”

Jared laughed at that. While Jensen wasn’t by any means the most fashionable person, and he also tended not to throw any of his old clothes out, he wasn’t in dire need of anything. Plus he was meticulous about mending things if they wore too much. “you should get Danneel to go with you . . . maybe find something suitable for job interviews this summer.”

“Why Danneel?”

“Because she does all the shopping for her and Elisabeth.” Jared raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the difference between their outfits, and the fact that Danneel is always looking at the magazines around. Elisabeth practically tosses them away in disgust if she even touches them.”

“Since when do you know about fashion . . . and why did you notice that?”

“I don’t,” he paused for a moment. The silence was a telltale sign that Jensen was quirking his eyebrow skeptically. “Billy told me.”

“Ah ha!” Jensen’s grin was audible. “Knew it.”

Jared stretched, holding the phone away as he yawned. “How many people were over there today? I swear we had around thirty here.” He was exaggerating a bit, but then his house wasn’t that big, so even fifteen to twenty people made it seem over crowded.

“Just my Dad’s parents, my parents, Josh and Shelly, and my Mom’s sister.” Jensen was quiet for a moment. “My Mom’s sister doesn’t have a mate.”

Jared sat up a little, leaning on his elbow. “Oh?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject though . . . so I didn’t. I was afraid of what would happen if I was wrong. Plus I’ve never really heard of her hanging out with anyone, specifically another woman that is.”

Jared nodded to himself. “Sometimes, rarely, people just don’t mate.”

“That’s why I didn’t want to bring it up,” Jensen agreed. “I didn’t want to be wrong and make her feel even worse than she already does about being alone.” He was quiet for a moment. “Even without you by my side, I know you’re there. I can’t imagine what it must be like for those who don’t have a mate or who lost them too soon.”

“Probably a bit lonely.” Jared leaned back against his pillow, thinking. “But then they wouldn’t know the difference if they haven’t mated yet. How could they? Maybe . . . maybe they don’t miss it at all, because they’ve never felt it in the first place.”

There was a moment of silence then. It wasn’t awkward; rather, they were just enjoying the knowledge that they were both there, able to communicate even if it wasn’t face to face.

“What time are you going to be arriving Tuesday?” Jared asked finally.

“I was thinking I’d leave here around eight or nine. I’ll grab something to eat in Temple or Georgetown and get there around one or two, maybe a little later.”

Jared ‘hmm’ed, “That’d give us part of the afternoon and all evening . . .” he trailed off, biting his lip. “Jeff wants to get to know you.”

There was a slight pause before Jensen spoke again, “What?”

“He wants to get to know you. Say’s it’s his ‘brotherly duty’ or something, since you’re my mate.” Jared snorted, rolling his eyes. “He said something about how ‘since I couldn’t mate the _right_ way, he’d have to make it up as we went along’. He does want to do something akin to the meet and greet part of the mating celebration, even if it’s just the five of us.” When Jensen didn’t say anything right away, he continued, “Is that all right?”

“Course it is! I just,” Jensen sighed, “I didn’t actually expect him to be willing to hang out with me for long. Not right away, anyway.”

“Neither did I. He’s trying, though, and that counts for something, right?”

“Yeah . . .”

“How do you think your family would take it?” Jared asked, voice lowering in volume and pitch as he heard a door slam shut somewhere.

“I don’t know. I think—I think Josh might suspect something is up.” He waited for Jensen to continue, and after a moment he did. “He pulled me aside the night I showed up and I’ve been trying to avoid him since, but he cornered me tonight to make _plans_. We’re hanging out tomorrow for some sort of ‘brotherly bonding’.” Jensen snorted. “He’s dragging me to some bar or other. I’m probably going to end up being the designated driver.”

“Sounds fun . . . not.”

“At least if he ends up drunk he’ll probably forget all about his reasons for dragging me out of the house in the first place.”

 

 _“Do not oversaturate thyself in the pleasures  
of the world, instead enjoy life’s pleasantries  
with restraint and in proper accord with the rules  
of the society in which one lives and God’s eyes.”  
The Word – Sansori sec 3 line 5_

It turned out Jensen was right. He did end up being the designated driver in the end, and Shelly was more than a bit annoyed with them, when he dropped his drunken brother off at their house. She’d offered him their couch—which was actually a futon—as they didn’t have a guest room, but he’d declined, instead heading back to his parents house for the remainder of the night.

The lights were off when he got home, and the house was dark. He went through the back door, knowing it would be the quietest point of entry and the least likely to wake anyone up. Stopping in the kitchen, he grabbed a glass and filled it with cool water from the tap, gulping half a glass down. While he hadn’t actually drunk any alcohol, the bar had been loud, and his ears were still ringing. Gulping down a glass or two somehow seemed to help with the resulting headache.

Leaning against the counter in front of the sink, he pulled out his cell and flipped it open. Using one hand he typed out a simple text message to Jared. Got home safe. Played DD, call me in the morning?

He got a reply less than a minute later, which put a smile on his face. Good. :) Sleep well. I’ll call around 9:30?

Ok. Miss you. Jensen sent back, sighing. He dropped his hand onto the counter and stared out the window into the back yard. It was early or late depending on the perspective, nearing two or three in the morning. Running his free hand over his face, he stared out into the dimly lit yard. The street lamps and other lights made it so the night wasn’t entirely pitch black, but that didn’t mean he could do more than make out the vague shapes of the trees in the back yard, the fence, and the hot tub his father had installed a few years ago.

A noise from behind him made him startle and turn around to come face to face with his mother. She was wearing a robe and blinking at him sleepily. “Jensen? Good, you’re home.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, smiling sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” she shook her head and moved to get a glass from the cupboard, “not really, anyway. I don’t sleep well when I know one of you kids is going to be back late. I worry.”

“Sorry.” Jensen stepped back so she could fill her cup at the sink.

“Nothing to be sorry about, sweetie.” She touched his arm, squeezing gently. “It’s a mother thing. Parent thing. You’ll understand one day.”

Swallowing, he looked away at that. Kids were something he had taken for granted growing up. They had always been a part of the plan, but then so had mating with a girl. The fact that he was with Jared had changed so many things. While he’d never really been sure if he _wanted_ kids, the fact that the likelihood they’d be able to have them considering most adoption agencies wouldn’t look twice at them made him feel guilty when his mother or another family member brought it up. And it had been brought up a couple dozen times so far in the time he’d been home.

His phone buzzed in his hand, letting him know he’d received a text message. Flipping it open, he read it. Miss you, too. Sleep well!

“Who’s that?” His mother asked curiously before taking a sip from her glass.

“Jared,” he answered honestly and closed his phone, putting it away in his jacket pocket. “My roommate.”

“He’s the one you were visiting in San Antonio?”

Jensen nodded. “Yeah. His family is there. He was asking what time I’m planning on driving down there on Tuesday.”

“Ah,” she nodded and dumped the remainder of her water into the sink. Quirking an eyebrow she continued, “And he’s up this late?”

Blinking, he managed to stumble out an answer. “His Mom dragged him to some party I think . . . he got back a couple of hours ago, but he takes a while to wind down.”

“Must make things interesting.” She chuckled and he froze.

“What?”

“Having a roommate that can’t settle down.” She shook her head her head. “I guess I was lucky I met your father so early on. He sleeps like a rock. Although that can make things rather difficult—”

“Mom!” Jensen interrupted her, shaking his head, his eyes wide.

“I was going to say when he _snores_.” She smiled at him cheekily and patted his shoulder.

 

 

 **Jensen Ackles**  
5 mins away, ready to go?

 **Jared Padalecki**  
Yes. More than! Know where we’re going?

 **Jensen Ackles**  
Rental car comes with a TomTom, we’re good.

 

“ _God_ ,” Jared groaned, stretching as Jensen stood and moved to the bathroom to retrieve a towel to clean them up with.

His mate’s eyes were at half0mast when he returned, glittering slightly in the fluorescent light from the lamp. They’d shut the blinds, blocking out as much as they could just in case. Jensen had booked the room, while Jared waited around the corner of the building for him to finish. Then they’d done their best not to be seen entering the room together. It had been ten or so minutes before Jared had finally followed him in, and, once he had, Jensen had taken the opportunity to push him up against the door, covering his mate’s lips with his own before trailing down his body and showing just how much he’d missed him.

“You aren’t going to fall asleep on me, are you?” Jensen asked as he ran the cloth over his mate, doing his best to clean him up.

Jared shifted to help him be able to reach everywhere. “Not trying to, but man . . . I think you wore me out.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “And which of us is the teenager here?”

“Stamina comes with age?”

“And how long will that last?” Jensen tossed the cloth to the side and settled down next to Jared, hooking a leg over Jared’s and resting his chin on his chest. He curled his toes into the insole of Jared’s foot and his mate pressed back against them.

“At least until you’re thirty.” Jared grinned at him. “I hear it’s all downhill from there.”

Rolling his eyes, Jensen turned his head to rest his cheek against Jared’s skin. He couldn’t see Jared’s face anymore, but his emotions were clearer than ever, filtering across the bond. Jensen had missed this so much, just being able to acutely feel his mate, and what was going on in his head. Being away from each other was like missing a limb, and he _hated_ it. Abhorred it like nothing he’d ever thought of. Given a chance he’d never be away from Jared for the rest of his life.

Jared’s hand came up and started caressing his back, the fingers brushing up and down over his spine. “Just another week and a half, and we’ll be home.”

“S’torture,” Jensen murmured and pressed his lips against the warm, slightly damp skin in front of him. He sighed and lifted up to meet Jared’s eyes. “Did you talk to them about the summer internship?”

Elisabeth had sent Jared applications for several different internships at Nimoy & Shatner that he’d been interested in. All of them were within a forty five minute drive of campus—not that they’d be living on campus over the summer. They’d have to find other accommodation, once school let out.

Jensen knew Jared was already working on his parents, trying to convince them that moving into an apartment was a good idea. His mother wasn’t too enthused about the whole idea, since he’d be away from the dorm—a focal point for meeting eligible young women and thus possible mates.

“Yeah,” Jared nodded as he ran his hand up to cup Jensen’s cheek. “My Mama’s skeptical. I think she wanted me to come home for more social events.” He rolled his eyes. “My Dad actually thinks it’s a pretty good opportunity for me. I think he was surprised that I was interested in interning for a law or PR firm . . . but he thinks it’d be a good experience.”

“And that it’d look great on a resume?” Jensen chuckled as Jared nodded in response.

“That too.”

“Think that’ll help with the apartment issue?” He asked, tilting his head into Jared’s palm just enough that his nose brushed the curve of Jared’s thumb, and his lips brushed against skin.

Jared brushed his thumb over the thin skin beneath Jensen’s eye and shrugged. “Maybe. I hope it will. It would make things so much easier . . .” he trailed off and tilted Jensen’s face up as he awkwardly leaned forward to press their lips together. As he pulled away, he continued, “Jeff’s trying to convince them, too. I think he’s gotten more used to the idea and wants to help as much as possible.”

“Cool.” Jensen pressed his lips together and nodded. While Jeff still seemed to falter between acceptance and skepticism, he did seem to believe they were telling the truth. He couldn’t blame Jared's brother, and was actually really thankful that he knew. It meant things were a tad easier for his mate at home.

Sure, Jensen had been faced with a few social gatherings while at his parents, but the three he'd gone to were nothing compared with the five or more a _week_ Jared had been inflicted with during his time in San Antonio. Between the larger evening parties and smaller meet ups. He was starting to suspect that his mother would have a much easier time accepting their situation than Jared’s. While his mom was invested in his future Jared’s mother was beyond invested in finding him a mate. It was actually a bit disturbing.

Not wanting to get up, let alone go anywhere, but also not wanting to get on the bad side of Jared’s mother, Jensen sighed. “What time were we supposed to be at your place again?”

“Six o’clock on the dot.” Jared groaned, tilting his head, so he could eye the clock on the bedside table. “Is that the right time?”

Jensen dropped his head to rest against Jared’s skin, nodding. “Sadly, I think it is.”

“Shit.” Jared cursed and Jensen grinned. When they had first met, it had been all Jared could do to avoid using anything worse than ‘shoot’, ‘crap’, and ‘dang’. “That doesn’t give us much time.”

“Hmmm.” Jensen lifted his head, glancing at the red, digital numbers. “Gives us plenty of time to shower . . .” grinning he quirked an eyebrow at his mate, “. . . together.”

“Oh?” Jared squinted a little as if he was trying to figure out the logistics. “Will we both fit in there?” It was a legitimate question. The motel they were at wasn’t exactly the best out there, and they were both rather tall.

“Only one way to find out.” Jensen pushed up and slid off the bed, looking over his shoulder as he headed to the small bathroom. “Coming?”


	7. Part Seven

 

 **Jared Padalecki**  
Flight landed. We’re about to get off the plane.

 **Jensen Ackles**  
I’m waiting at baggage claim! I’ll be searching for you. Hurry.

 **Jared Padalecki**  
Can’t wait to get home. Missed you!

 

In the past Jared had always been disappointed when the holiday break ended because it meant going back to school, and homework, and having to get up early. This year, though, he was more than happy to be getting off the plane in California, and his heart was racing as he headed to baggage claim. It meant he would be seeing Jensen again, and that they’d be spending the night, _every_ night together for the next four months at least. Probably more considering his parents had pretty much agreed that, if he got one of the internships he was applying for, they’d let him move into an apartment.

Adjusting his backpack on his shoulder—he’d used it as his carryon-on—he headed down the hall, his eyes scanning the crowds, focused on the direction in which he could feel Jensen waiting for him. His mate was excited, overjoyed to see him again. There was also a strong undercurrent of lust and the need to confirm the reality of their proximity. His face lit up with a smile the moment he spotted Jensen waiting for him near the conveyer belt.

“No baggage yet?” Jared asked as he came to a stop in front of Jensen. Every inch of his body was vibrating with the need to touch his mate.

Jensen shook his head; his tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Not yet. Should be soon, though.”

“Good.” Jared turned away sharply, eyes finding the notice board that listed where each of the incoming flight’s baggage would be arriving. The best thing for him to do at the moment was to ignore Jensen’s presence, or try to anyway, because ignoring Jensen was impossible for him.

“I stopped by the dorm earlier,” Jensen spoke up after a second, “stocked up the fridge, and made sure everything was plugged in and cleaned up. I even dusted and changed the sheets.”

“That’s awesome.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but he was actually really, really glad. Every thought circulating through his mind was about getting Jensen alone and staying alone till morning at the least. “When you say ‘stocked’, what exactly do you mean?” Turning to look at Jensen, he noticed the grin on his mate’s face and _knew_ the answer.

“Class starts on Monday. I’m thinking people will start knocking Saturday night or Sunday afternoon . . . what do you think?”

“I’m not sure.” Jared stepped forward a little as the belt started moving. A few seconds later suitcases started appearing, moving slowly towards them. “You’re the junior here. I’d think you’d remember what it was like from your past experience in the dorms.”

Jensen snorted, chuckling a little as Jared spotted his bag and snagged it. “Man, I didn’t go back to the dorms my freshman year till Sunday evening!”

“Guess we’ll just have to find out then.”

 

 _“Do not associate for long periods of time  
with those who participate in deviant behavior.   
Avoid them for their presence is an unnecessary   
temptation towards joining them in their acts.”  
The Word – Vioran sec 4 line 8_

The beginning of the spring semester went much more smoothly than the fall had, since they weren’t still feeling the aftershocks of mating fever. Unlike last semester they didn’t have any classes in common, but they’d worked their schedules out, so they both had the same evenings free. Two of the nights Jared signed up to work Jensen had labs on campus until nine. After they ended, he’d go study in the lounge till Jared’s shift was over.

It was three weeks in, and everything was going really well for them. The advice that Dominic and Billy had given them about dealing with their bond was really helping, and some of it was so close to being second nature now that it was getting even easier to deal with pretending to just be best friends in public. That didn’t mean he, they, liked it. Jared hated not being able to touch Jensen when they were hanging out in the dining hall with their dorm mates, or even out with Jensen’s—now his, too—friends. The only times they were able to be remotely physically affectionate with each other in the presence of others was when they hung out with Jason and Adrianne—although neither were very comfortable with it—or when they met up with other same-sex pairs.

Last semester they’d spent much of their spare time, after meeting Elisabeth and Danneel, working with mentors in order familiarize themselves with everything. Now though, after months of work and getting used to everything, they didn’t need to spend quite as much time hashing things out. In fact Dominic had insisted that meeting with the local support group would probably help them more in the long run.

The meeting took place at the café as it was a pretty central location and was busy enough that it wouldn’t arouse too much suspicion about the meeting occurring upstairs. Emma hung a ribbon up to block the staircase with some random acronym on it, and a message that stated there was a private meeting going on upstairs and regular customers weren’t allowed and should use the restrooms next door.

Jared went up first, while Jensen ordered their drinks, a decision they’d planned out in order to lessen the perception that they were there _together_ to the poetry group nestled on the couches downstairs, listening to some girl wax on about the deep darkness of destiny and a forest.

He waited on the landing, just at the top of the stairs. He could see people milling about down the short hall, talking and snacking. Right away he spotted Elisabeth, her hand clasping Danneel’s as her mate leaned up against her back, her chin resting on Elisabeth’s shoulder. They were talking to a tall guy with dark, blue-black hair, who looked vaguely familiar. Jared frowned, trying to place him.

“Your freaking huge sugar and caffeine monstrosity,” Jensen said as he held the drink up in front of Jared’s face.

Taking it, Jared smiled and wrapped his lips around the straw. “S’good,” he mumbled after swallowing, causing Jensen to roll his eyes. It had been easy for Jared to memorize Jensen’s favorite drink—he preferred coffee, black, a teaspoon of sugar if it was after one, and a bit of creamer if it was after dinner—whereas Jared tended to order a long list of things and didn’t always stick to his usual.

“Better be,” Jensen grumbled, turning his attention down the hall. “It was freaking expensive.”

“Sorry.” It was automatic to apologize, even if it wasn’t necessary as Jared could tell through their bond that Jensen wasn’t really upset. He was just playing it up. “Let’s go find a seat?”

He nodded, but paused after a few steps, his hand wrapping around Jensen’s bicep. “Wait.”

“What?” Jensen turned back to him, curiosity widening his eyes and lifting his brows.

Jared smiled and slid his hand down Jensen’s arm. His fingers grazed over the inside of Jensen’s forearm, over his wrist and palm till they slotted between his fingers and tangled them together. “Okay, now let’s go.”

Jensen smiled in return and squeezed gently before leading them down the hall.

There were about a dozen couples there, milling about together in the room. Not all of them were with their mates, couldn’t be, considering there were men and women sitting together talking as well as the same-sex pair discussions going on. It took a second for Danneel to spot them, and when she did she smiled and waved with her free hand. The guy who was talking with them spotted them as well, raised an eyebrow and smiled broadly.

“Jared and Jensen?”

They turned at the familiar face and Jared blinked, slightly shocked. It was the guy from across the hall, Kris, who had confronted him about ‘the porn’ the previous semester. He was probably the last person Jared had expected to see there.

“You’re . . . Kris, right?” Jensen spoke up and glanced at Jared before turning back to the shorter man.

Kris smiled at them, wide and bright. “Yeah. And thank _God_ I was right about you two! I really didn’t want to know if you were actually watching _porn_ and not . . . I mean awkward.”

“Yeah, we . . . sorry,” Jared laughed nervously, a tad embarrassed.

“Hey don’t worry about it. I completely understand. I know how hard it is to keep things under wraps.” Kris nodded and gestured towards the other side of the room. “I mated with Adam at the beginning of my senior year of high school, and we were at an all-male boarding school. Talk about _awkward_.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked, laughing at the images Kris’ story brought to mind.

“Would you have?” Kris raised an eyebrow. “Imagine your reaction to me asking you if you had mated with your very male roommate if you hadn’t. Talk about an awkward conversation. Plus, you’d probably have mentioned it to other people, maybe Misha or one of the campus pastors. No thank you!”

“Adam’s the tall guy with the blue hair?” Jensen asked motioning towards where the man was talking with Elisabeth and Danneel.

Kris nodded. “Yep, that’s him.”

“I thought I recognized him from somewhere.” Jensen tilted his head in thought.

“Yeah.” Kris winced a little. “The administration split us up so we’ve been making the best of a bad situation. Nimoy & Shatner did set us up with a small apartment, but it’s shared with another couple in a similar situation—Bridget and Tabi. They’re around here somewhere.”

“How does that work?” Jared frowned, shifting his weight so he could lean against Jensen.

“It’s like a time share only based off days, or really nights, of the week.” Kris shrugged.

The rest of the evening was fairly normal, all things considered. They met a lot of different people and got to know a few of the couples. There were a half dozen college pairs, one still in the high school, one pair that was already retired, and the rest were part of the work force.

Jensen seemed enamored with the retired pair, Jimmy and Robert, who had set up shop on one of the couches. Jared watched out of the corner of his eye as Jensen sat across from them, talking about how they had dealt with everything over the years.

While Jensen was listening, he’d gotten up to throw away his empty cup and grab a few snacks. Sure Jared was interested in what the men had to say, but he also knew that Jensen would give him a play by play—maybe even write out a transcript of the conversations main points—later that night. Anything that Jensen thought might help them in the future he recorded. The advice of two men who’d lived through their situation was definitely something that could help them in some way.

“Hey, Jared.” Elisabeth greeted him, a smile parting her lips.

“Elisabeth.” Straightening, he smiled back and nodded.

She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow at the plate he’d piled high with goodies before meeting his eyes. “I heard you sent in the applications.”

“I did.” Jared bit the inside of his cheek to keep from asking the question on the tip of his tongue.

Laughing softly, she continued, “They look great. In fact you should be getting a call in a couple of weeks. Maybe sooner.”

“Really?” His smile brightened, and he felt Jensen's curiosity about what he was doing. Glancing towards his mate, he smiled even wider before turning back to Elisabeth.

“Yep.” Elisabeth giggled, eyes crinkling a bit at the edges before her face smoothed out, and she tilted her head curiously. “Have you decided what you want to major in yet?”

“I’m still not sure.” He paused, glancing down at his plate, and sighed. “I think, if I like it, maybe PR or law or something in business to help Jensen build his practice.”

“Don’t worry too much.” Elisabeth nodded and then jumped a little as Danneel wrapped her arms around her from behind. “Hey you.” She tilted her head back, cheek and nose brushing against Danneel’s.

“Hey, what are you two talking about?” Danneel smiled at Jared, raising an eyebrow. “So are you going to come be my slave or Elisabeth’s this summer?”

He blinked. “I didn’t know you two were—”

Elisabeth rolled her eyes and interrupted him. “We’re not. Two of the positions are in our offices though.”

“Choose mine. We have _way_ more fun than those silly PR peeps.” Danneel stepped away, dodging Elisabeth’s hands as she tried to pinch her side.

 

 _Three and a half months later_

 _"If the person one bonds to has lost their mind to darkness,  
they are to spend their days attending to the needs of their mate.  
For they are bound for all eternity and will once   
again be together fully in Paradise."  
The Word – Levinius sec 10 line 9_

Moving shouldn’t have been that difficult. It wasn’t like they had that much stuff, but then they did have to purchase a new bed and a mattress, a used couch, and some other miscellaneous furniture. They did luck out a bit on one hand, Chris and Steve had an extra double frame in their apartment, including a mattress, which had lowered the cost a little.

They’d enlisted Jason, Chris, and Steve to help them move the boxes, two beds—the double and a queen—the sofa, and a table up to their new apartment. If it hadn’t been for being on the third floor without an elevator, they probably would have moved up on their own. As it was the extra help was much appreciated.

The beds were the first things they brought up; the queen went into the larger of the two bedrooms while the full size was placed in the smaller one. There were a few comments made about who was going to get which one and Jared jokingly claimed the queen because he was the tallest and dumped a box of his clothes onto the mattress first chance he got. Jensen had just rolled his eyes and did his best to convey that _Jared_ would be the one to clean that mess up, even if he was the one that usually did all the folding.

The rest of the stuff wasn’t that difficult to carry up. It wasn’t like they had a whole ton of things in the first place as they were moving from the dorms. In the next couple of weeks they’d need to stop by Wal-Mart and the dollar store in order to stock up on kitchen items and other essentials, since paper plates, styrofoam cups, and plastic utensils could only last so long. Plus Jensen wanted a knife. If he had a stove to cook on, he was going to buy something sharp that wasn’t a pizza cutter.

Everything was going smoothly, and they were nearly done bringing things upstairs when one of the boxes Steve was carrying into the apartment, heading for the extra bedroom, split open at the bottom, letting the contents spill out onto the floor. Out of all the dozen or so boxes they had, it had to be the one box that Jared had dumped all their supplies into. Lube and a supply of clean wash clothes, and a dozen or so pages of printer paper covered with various instructions Jensen had found online. Basically how-to manuals for male-same sex intercourse, pictures, and other activities from some sites that Billy had directed him to that were passworded.

They both knelt down, and Jensen scrambled to snag all the papers, hoping to grab them before Steve looked too closely, but before he could get them all, Steve had picked one up. His eyes slid shut, and he prayed to God that it was one of the pages he’d printed out describing anal sex with _women_ being on the receiving end.

Of all the things he expected to hear from Steve, he wasn’t expecting his friend to burst out laughing, his fingers crumpling the paper a bit, clenching as his body shook. “Oh, God . . . seriously?”

Jensen bit his lip, trying to make out which sheet Steve was looking at, but the light was all wrong for anything to be visible at his angle. “What?” he ventured, hesitantly.

“This . . . you and . . .” Steve had to pause in order to try and contain his laughter, “you and Jared are mates?”

“I—how?” Jensen froze, his body utterly still. “How did you—”

“Between how love sick you two act, and this stuff?” Steve flipped the paper around so Jensen could see the image on it. It was step-by-step instructions, including little graphics, on how to prepare a male mate for anal intercourse.

“Why is Jenny as red as a tomato?” Chris asked from the door.

Jensen looked up and caught Jared’s eye over Chris’ shoulder. He could feel the worry and nerves across their bond and the question there as well.

Steve looked over his shoulder and grinned at Chris. “We’re having a coming out moment. Jensen and Jared are mates.”

“ _Shit_ ,” Chris cursed and moved into the room. He dropped his box onto the floor and pulled out his wallet. “How much was it?”

“I think we were up to a hundred.” Steve grinned and handed the sheet of paper to Jensen.

“You two were _betting_ on the fact that we were mates?” Jared ventured, eyeing them carefully as he made his way to Jensen’s side.

Steve nodded. “Well, kind of. We figured you were, or Lindsay was pretty sure the first time she met Jared, and it was pretty much confirmed for us when you finally showed up to a gig and stuck around to meet us.”

“If you knew, then what was the bet for?” Jensen frowned, eyes narrowing as they darted between them.

“I figured you’d actually tell us at some point, Steve thought we’d find out accidently,” Chris motioned towards him, “and Lindsay figured we’d have to confront you at some point.”

“But how did you—”

“Seriously?” Steve laughed. “You haven’t figured it out?”

Jensen felt the moment Jared realized whatever it was and turned his gaze toward his mate, still a bit confused.

“You two are mates?”

“Takes one to know one!” Chris shook his head, exasperated.

“Oh, God.” Jensen rubbed at his forehead, trying to put this new piece of information together with everything he already knew about his friends. How they’d acted together over the years.

They all fell silent as Jason entered the room. He froze in the doorway, frowning and looking between them all, box in hand. “What’d I miss?”

“Chris and Steve are mates,” Jensen replied, speaking without really thinking about it. The two men tensed visibly, obviously uncomfortable at how frank Jensen was being with Jason.

“ _Fuck_. You have got to be kidding me!” Jason looked between them, face etched with disbelief. “How many of you are there?” Sighing he shook his head. His features knitted together in confusion, and he turned to Steve. “What about Lindsay?”

“A close friend,” Chris replied as Steve answered, “A very close friend.”

At their inquiring looks, Steve continued, “Her mate developed schizophrenia a year after they met. He ranges from being catatonic to having sudden, violent outbursts. He’s in an institution in New York.” He exchanged a look with Chris. “We met her brother once, he has a mate of the same-sex, and he set her up with us in order to afford us some cover. Doesn’t help with the people who’ve known us a long time . . . but new acquaintances, and most fans, assume she and Steve are mated.”

“So it’s kind of an alliance?” Jared asked as he slotted an arm around Jensen’s waist.

Jensen leaned into his mate; his nerves were finally cooling down, and he was getting used to the idea of Chris and Steve as Chris&Steve. In some ways it was going to be a hard transition, but in others it wouldn’t be. He’d always thought about them, to some extent, as a pair.

“In a way,” Steve nodded, glancing towards Chris. “It’s more of hiding in plain sight. The arrangement also makes things easier for Lindsay as her mate won’t ever . . . Well I’m sure you can guess what her life will be like.”

“Not really.” Jared said honestly. “I can’t imagine it and I don’t really want to. Losing your mate to mental illness . . . I think that’d be worse than dying. It was bad enough being a thousand miles away from Jensen over break.”

“The distance and length of time makes it a bit more bearable.” Chris shrugged. “Or so she says.”

“Well,” Jason spoke up after a moment of awkward silence, “as wonderfully depressing as this conversation is, I think you two might want to finish getting moved in sometime today. I’m not coming back tomorrow. I have something to do with my very _female_ mate that I would be punished for missing. I’m starting to think you guys have all the luck.”

“What do mean?” Jensen frowned, leaning down to pick up the box, being careful to keep a hand beneath the tear. “Are you going to visit her family or something?”

“Or something.” Jason groaned, moving around them with his box. “There’s a sale at the mall tomorrow . . . the one two hours from here that she absolutely cannot miss. And I promised I’d go with her.”

 

 

 **Jensen Ackles**  
Dinner?

 **Jared Padalecki**  
Yes please!

 **Jensen Ackles**  
No. What do you want for dinner?

 **Jared Padalecki**  
Something with cheese, maybe onions?

 **Jensen Ackles**  
Fuck NO.

 **Jared Padalecki**  
:( C’mon. You know you love me!

 **Jensen Ackles**  
When onions are involved? Not so much. I’ll make spaghetti.

 **Jared Padalecki**  
You’re qualifying our love now? :( :(

 

Groaning, Jared spread the papers out in front of him as he tried to figure out the information his supervisor, Miranda Otto, had set him to organizing. So far he loved his job, even if it took him in the opposite direction from Jensen during the work day. It was nice, though, to be around people who knew he was mated and weren’t pestering him about going places to meet potential mates or such. They’d even said he could wear a mating ring at work if he wanted to!

“Hey, Jared.” Elisabeth slipped into his cubicle, brandishing a steaming cup of coffee. “I figured you could use some of this.”

“Oh thank _God_.” Jared took it from her, his hands wrapping around the paper as he enjoyed the warmth coming off it. He’d been there for three hours already and it was only the middle of the morning. He really hadn’t expected to have such early hours.

She laughed at his expression and took a sip from her mug. “Early morning?”

He nodded, his mouth still full of the heavenly liquid. It had sugar in it, but not much. Jensen would have loved it.

“I remember being an intern.” She sat down on the edge of his desk; it was really bare, only the computer, files, and a container of pens and pencils on it. “Always getting up early in order to have information ready for the morning meetings.”

Jared sighed and set his cup down, leaning back in his chair. “How many files do you usually go through in a day?”

“Not as many as you are. I spend a lot of time working with each case,” Elisabeth replied easily, picking a folder up off his desk. “This guy,” her nose scrunched up, “is always so sloppy. Him and his mate, and their allies . . . I swear they _want_ the world to find out.”

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Jared ventured, “Would that be so bad?” At her raised eyebrow, he continued, “I mean if everyone came out.” He gestured at the stack of folders he’d been going through. “It seems like there’s enough people out there that, if they all did it at once, things would have to change. It would make things easier for everyone, too. I mean, I’ve only gone through a portion of the information for the politicians that are affiliated with us, but combining them with the celebrities, business men, and even Church leaders? If everyone came out the world would be turned upside down!”

“Yes, it would,” she agreed, setting the folder down. “But Jared, think about everything that would have to be involved with something like that.” Sighing she pushed up from the desk. “It isn’t as easy as you’d think and a lot of people just wouldn’t be interested in coming out. There’s too much fear out there . . . I mean look at what happened when Lucy Lawless and her mate tried to do it.” She shook her head. “Most people like the status quo.”

“But, like you said, they didn’t have the backing or the support of a group like Nimoy & Shatner,” he pointed out. “They were on their own, just two women against the world. If we all did it, though, there would be hundreds of thousands—millions—of people in all walks of life, neighbors, family members, friends, teachers, pastors, politicians—even the Vice President!”

“Maybe,” she shrugged, looking down at her watch, “maybe one day we’ll find out. But to convince that many people to go through with something like that? There’d have to be one amazing plan in place. The logisitics would have to be near flawless for any of our clients to even _consider_ going through with it. It would tear their lives apart.”

“Maybe,” he returned, watching as she turned to leave. “But maybe they’d rebuild their lives even better. Maybe the world would be a much happier place for all of us.”

 

 _“Cheating is prohibited via any means. If you are  
caught cheating on an exam in any way, even through  
a mating bond, you will automatically fail the class  
and will be reported to the administration.”  
Quote taken from multiple course syllabi._

Groaning, Jensen laid his head down against his text book. The fall semester had started, and it was much tougher than he’d expected, although he probably should have expected it, considering it was his last year, and he’d pretty much exhausted all of his general education requirements already. Every class he was taking, except one, had a three hour lab one evening a week, which meant his free time and, more especially his _Jared_ time, was severely limited.

The summer had been busy for both of them. While Jared worked at Nimoy & Shatner with Elisabeth’s PR team, Jensen had been busy shadowing and basically acting as a gopher for a physical therapist named Jeffrey Dean Morgan. While Jeffrey wasn’t part of a same-sex pair, his parents had been. They’d formed an alliance in order to build a family together. It was an interesting dynamic as he basically had two sets of parents, and, while it had worked for them, Jensen didn’t think it was something he wanted to try, even if the idea of having kids one day interested him.

He heard the front door open and close, and a minute later Jared appeared, slipping into their room. “I could feel your stress from work.” Jared was working part time in the evenings for Nimoy & Shatner, continuing his summer internship into the fall. He was making more money than he would have otherwise, and the firm had also offered him a scholarship if he decided to work for them after college. Apparently they thought he had a lot of potential.

“Sorry.” Jensen tilted his head back as Jared leaned down and their lips met in a soft, comfortable kiss. “I’ll try to be quieter next time.”

“Nah, it’s okay.” Jared rested his hands on Jensen’s shoulders and peered at the text books in front of him. Making a face, he continued, “I’m so glad I won’t have to take any more science after this semester.”

“Did you get your exam back in Chem yet?” The answer was evident in the way Jared shuffled, and the disappointment and anger—at himself, not at Jensen or anyone else—that slipped across their bond.

“Yeah,” Jared sighed. “I got a C plus.”

Jensen winced a little. He knew how long Jared had spent studying for that midterm; he’d even helped him go over all the material. Turning, he swiveled the chair to face his mate as he dropped down onto the edge of their bed.

“I don’t know.” Cringing, Jared smiled sheepishly. “I told you I got in there and froze, right?” Well, turns out I confused a couple of terms and it showed in the multiple choice section.”

Jensen stood and moved to the bed, sitting down next to him. “You’re passing though, right?”

“Yeah,” Jared nodded and settled closer so their thighs brushed. “I do alright on the labs.”

“Then you’ll be fine.” Jensen leaned in and kissed him, cupping Jared’s face between his hands, his thumbs brushing over Jared’s cheek bones. Pulling back he pressed their foreheads together. “It’s not your major, and as long as you get a C or better you’ll be fine.”

Jared made a noise in the back of his throat and Jensen shook his head, meeting his eyes. “You’re not a science person. I know that, and it isn’t what Elisabeth or your supervisors at work care about.” He rapped his knuckles gently against the side of Jared’s head. “They want you for your analytical brain and research skills. Not for your knowledge of chemical bonds. Besides, if you ever have a reason to need that information, you have me as a resource.”

“My own scientific encyclopedia,” Jared laughed. “If only I could have you sit my tests.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Jensen leaned back and sighed. “I should get back to studying. Exam tomorrow and all that.”

Jared made a face. “I have lab and another economics class.”

“Think you can be done studying by eleven?” Jensen asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Maybe.” Jared glanced at the clock and then back to Jensen. “The night before an exam?”

“It’ll help me sleep.” Jensen shrugged and grinned, leaning in to kiss Jared once more before standing and making his way back to the desk.

 

 

 **Jeff Padalecki**  
Mom's going to be pissed if you don't come home for Celebration.

 **Jared Padalecki**  
I know... any advice? I just can't go without Jensen.

 **Jeff Padalecki**  
Use work as an excuse. Dad'll go for it. I'll talk to them.

 **Jared Padalecki**  
Best. Brother. Ever.

 **Jeff Padalecki**  
Suck up.

 

“—and Mrs. Bledel is—”

“Mama,” Jared interrupted his mother, before she could go into some long monologue about all the parties that he just _had_ to attend while he was home. He winced as he continued, “I’m not coming home for the holidays this year.”

For once the line was deathly quiet. Jared swore he could hear birds chirping on the end. His mother was probably on the back porch, looking out into the garden.

“What?”

“I’m not coming home for Celebration or New Years,” he repeated, meeting Jensen’s eyes when his mate came into the room, two cups in his hand. He handed the one filled with soda to Jared, and continued on to his desk where he’d set up camp. Most of the time Jensen used his old desk, while Jared just spread his stuff out on the bed, taking up as much room as he possibly could.

“And why not?” His mother sounded upset with an edge of surprise, and something that was almost hysteria.

“If I stay here I can work full time over break, and that’ll give me more than enough money to cover all my books and maybe enough for January’s rent.” He paused to take a sip. “Besides, flights are expensive this year with the strikes and everything.”

“Jared,” his mother sighed, “if it’s about the money, you shouldn’t worry. You know your father and I can pay for it. We aren’t strapped financially.”

“No, Mama, it’s not just the money. I really like this job, and I think working over break can help me get ahead for the future.” He weighed his options, organizing his thoughts. “Think of how well I’ll be able to provide for my family if this all works out. I already have a foot in the company and all . . .”

“Well,” he could just picture her pursing her lips in frustration, “if your father thinks it’s a good idea, then I guess it’s all right with me. You’ll come home for your spring break, though. I know you have a full week off for it from school, and I’m sure you can get it off from work as well. You didn’t come home last year.” No he hadn’t, and neither had Jensen. They’d spent the entire week holed up together having lots and lots of sex.

“I miss you.”

“I miss you, too, Mama.”

“I guess I’ll let you go. Call later tonight to talk with your father about it. He’ll be home around seven.”

“Will do.” Hanging up the phone, he glanced over at his mate and smiled.

Jensen raised an eyebrow, smiling back. “Did it work?”

Jared shrugged, “Maybe. I’m _not_ going home for the holidays this year, not without you, anyway. Jeff said he’d talk with her as well, so . . .”

“Jeff is going to help you avoid the family get together?” Jensen asked skeptically, raising his glass to his lips.

“He owes me. Besides, I think he actually likes you somewhat. He said you were _good for me_.”

“Really,” Jensen laughed, shaking his head a little.

“Yeah, I don’t know either.” He shrugged, grinning. “Maybe it’s an outsider perspective thing.”

 

 _“One of the most important parts of the mating celebration  
is the telling of your mating story. No two stories are exactly alike,  
each having their own details that differ from everyone else. You  
should share it proudly, retelling every moment leading up to  
the first time you physically touched your mate.”  
Smith, Alice and Job Smith. Mating: Everything You Need to   
Know. Chicago: Illuminate Inc., 1980. 24._

Jensen hadn’t been home since last Celebration, so he really should have been expecting something. It wasn’t that he was avoiding his family—not purposefully—but he wasn’t exactly being particular about keeping in touch with them either. So, he really should have expected something to happen eventually.

But he didn’t and couldn’t have expected his parents and little sister to show up on a Saturday afternoon the week before celebration after driving for two days. It was the farthest thing from his mind. No, the thing on his mind was Jared's cock, and the fact that it was hitting him in just the right spot to send sparks shattering through his mind, bringing on an amazing orgasm.

And really, his parents couldn’t have had worse timing. Well, maybe they could have, but Jensen didn’t want to even think about that.

“Shit,” he groaned, rolling over onto his stomach as Jared pulled out of him.

Jared had frozen next to him on the bed, kneeling there with an odd look on his face. “Was that our door bell?”

“Huh?” Jensen lifted up just enough to frown over his shoulder at Jared as the doorbell rang again, and that sound was definitely coming from their apartment. They exchanged a look and both scrambled off the bed to get cleaned up as much as possible.

His phone rang then, the ring tone that Jared had programmed for his parents shrilly filling the silence and startling them. Jensen froze, his jeans in hand, and the cell phone’s tone coming from the pocket.

Digging it out, he flipped it open, meeting Jared’s eyes as he spoke, “Hello?”

“Honey, could you let us in?” his mother’s voice greeted him. “You are home, aren’t you?”

“Uh . . .” he swallowed heavily. “You’re _here_?”

“Yes, we’re waiting at your door. We aren’t . . . interrupting your or Jared during,” she paused and cleared her throat, “a mating fever, are you?”

“No! No. No mating . . . fever. You’re not interrupting anything. I was just,” he replied, scrambling to pull his jeans on. He glanced helplessly at Jared as he spoke, “Just give me a minute.” Snapping it shut, he continued, voice hushed, “What do we do?”

“Answer the door?”

“Right.” Jensen cringed. “Fuck.”

“It’ll be fine. Maybe they’ll think we were at the gym?” Only Jared knew that when Jensen went to the gym or for a run he took a shower _immediately_ after they were done. Jensen’s parents would know too.

Sighing, he ran a hand over his face and hair, moving to their closet to snag a shirt. Now was not a good time. The guest bedroom was set up to appear like one of them lived in it, sure, but the master bedroom had all their stuff. Jared’s books, bags, and shoes were stacked near the bed, and Jensen’s stuff was piled on top of the desk. It would be obvious with just one look that they both lived in the larger of the two rooms. Not to mention they both smelled of sweat and sex beneath their clothes. And Jensen could still feel Jared’s come land the slick of lube inside him.

“Shit.”

There wasn’t much he could do, that either of them could do, in the very little time they had to do it. His parents were waiting just on the other side of the door, and there was really no possible way that they could get them to leave for a little while. Not that they could explain, anyway.

Jared was chewing on his lip, and Jensen almost felt like doing the same as he did his best to pick up the room, fixing the blankets on the bed into some semblance of order and tossing their dirty clothes into the hamper. He floundered after that, eyes landing on Jared’s sweat-damp hair.

“You need a shower.”

Jared nodded, hand lifting to run through his hair, before the nod shifted into a shake. “No. This is ridiculous.”

“What?”

“Your parents are here, and they interrupted _us_. Their presence is inconveniencing our plans, not the other way around.” He turned and met Jensen’s eyes. “They can assume what they want, and we can either tell them or just pretend nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Personally, I’d rather just see how they’d react.”

Jensen could see his point, but at the same time he couldn’t help but think that, if it were Jared’s parents, his mate would have a whole different opinion. “That’s a really _bad_ idea and you know it!”

“Is it?”

“Yes! Think about how _your_ mother would react!” he hissed, jaw clenched tight.

“Your mother is much easier going than mine. Besides, some people in my family already know and look how much easier that’s made things for us! If you tell them it’d be even easier.”

“No.” Jensen turned away from his mate, moving to the bathroom so he could wash his hands off, before he practically sprinted to the door. His mother was the first one he saw, a small smile on her face, fingers clenching the strap of her bag from where she was standing next to his father. Mackenzie was leaning against the wall nearby, listening to her i-pod.

“Sorry, we, uh,” he paused, biting his lip before tentatively smiling. “Come in?”

He stepped back so they could enter, and his parents moved past him to stand in the room. Mackenzie followed after a few seconds, her eyes scanning the apartment as she turned off her music. “Nice place.” She smiled at him.

Ducking his head, feeling his cheeks warm, he nodded, “Thanks.” Jensen shut the door then, just as Jared entered the room from where he’d been washing up in the bathroom, his own cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the situation.

There was an awkward silence, before his father cleared his throat and spoke, “Well, surprise!”

“Yeah,” Jensen managed an awkward smile, looking up at him, “it really was.”

“I told ‘em we should call!” Mackenzie piped up, rolling her eyes.

“That would have been a good idea,” Jared mumbled slightly, not quite speaking at full volume. His words caused everyone to turn to look at him.

“Sorry,” his mother shifted, her smile dropping a little. “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you doing that it took you so long to answer the door?”

Exchanging a glance with Jared, Jensen could feel that his mate was conflicted about how to respond. He was, too, especially after what Jared had said just a few minutes earlier. There were a few different things he could say, all of them flimsy excuses, but suddenly none of them actually seemed all that appealing.

“We . . .” he stopped, glancing towards Jared before stepping towards him. “We were kind of in the middle of—We’re mates.”

“Congratulations, son. Have you started looking into one of those alliance thingies?” his father asked, a smile appearing and completely startling Jensen.

“What?” Jensen blinked, surprised. “How do you—” He cut himself off, unsure how to respond. It seemed like every time they came out to someone they found out something that completely blew them away.

“We should have told you.” His mother sighed, nodding to Mackenzie as well. “All of you sooner, but honestly we were worried about what you would say or do when you were younger.”

“Told me what?” Jensen asked, confusion causing his body to tense. A few random thoughts flitted through his mind, but he dismissed them outright. There was _no way_ his parents were involved in an alliance. That was something he couldn’t have missed.

Mackenzie frowned, her attention focusing on her mother. She was obviously just as confused as he was.

“Your Aunt Lydia,” his mother smiled at him, “her mate is that lovely woman she lives next door to, Marissa.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Jensen asked, looking between his parents. If he had known earlier, it would have made everything that much easier for him when he first met Jared. A lot easier.

“She was afraid. We all were.” His mother sighed and stepped toward them. “Not everyone in the family knows, mostly just your Aunts and Uncles. It’s easier to keep it quiet when kids are kept in the dark.”

“Kids say the darndest things,” Jared said suddenly, drawing their attention again.

She smiled up at him, “That they do. So, how about we all sit down and get to know each other. I think it’s far past time you told us your story.” Tilting her head to the side, she examined them closely. “First you can both go take a shower and get cleaned up. We’ll just get settled in . . .Your guest room is set up, right?”

 

 

Dinner was an awkward, but nice, affair. His parents didn’t say anything to them about the mess, or the fact that they’d probably figured out exactly what Jensen and Jared had been doing before they arrived. They’d driven in two separate cars to the restaurant and the moment they had arrived, his mother pulled him into a hug and then did the same with Jared, smiling widely at them both again. Overall they seemed to welcome Jared with open arms, even if his father didn’t seem to know exactly what to say half the time.

After they’d gone home and talked some more about everything going on in both their lives. His mother seemed dead set on trying to figure out some way to set up something resembling a mating celebration at some time to be decided later, and she was very happy to find out that Jared’s siblings, at the least, knew about them.

When everyone had finally gone to bed, his parents in the guest room, and Mackenzie on the couch, they secluded themselves in their bedroom. Jensen was tired, and it showed as he collapsed against the closed door and ran a hand over his face.

Hands shoved in his pockets, Jared smiled. “They were nice.”

“I can’t believe that happened,” Jensen groaned, dropping his hand away and opening his eyes.

“The whole part that your parents showed up when we were having sex, or the part that they were actually really cool with the idea of us being mates?”

“The first and the second, either, both.” Jensen sighed and moved away from the door.“God . . . that was so embarrassing.”

Stepping toward him, Jared slotted his hands onto Jensen’s hips and pulled him forward. “It’s done now, though, and it’s one less thing to worry about.” His head bumped against Jared’s shoulder and he wrapped his arms around him, leaning against him in a full bodied hug. He felt his mate’s lips brush against his temple and nuzzled against Jared’s shirt.

“Sleepy?” Jared asked.

“Not really. Just worn out,” he mumbled and pulled back so he could look Jared in the eye. “That did just happen, didn’t it?”

“It did.”

Jensen groaned, “Mackenzie is going to drive me insane.”

“She seemed pretty okay with it,” Jared pointed out, and Jensen shook his head.

“All that means is later I’m going to receive so much shit about it,” he dropped his head back against Jared’s shoulder. “I’m never going to hear the end of it.”

 

 _“While family is important your mate shall come  
before all else. He or she shall be second only to God.”  
The Word – Levinius sec 1 line 17_

Jensen’s family stayed for three days and spent most of the daylight hours visiting with them—when neither of them were working—and exploring the area. His mother was nice, and apparently overjoyed that Jensen had actually mated to the point that she made Jensen go spend a few hours with his father and sister so she could get to know her ‘new son’.

By the end of the visit, even Mackenzie had declared Jared their mother’s new favorite, a title that used to belong to Josh. His mother had also brought an album full of pictures for them to look through. Most of them were of Josh’s new baby, a little girl that Shelly had named Dakota after her grandmother, and who was just over six months old.

After they'd left, Jared and Jensen spent the rest of the holiday holed up together when they weren’t working or hanging out with Steve, Chris, and Lindsay. It was nice to be able to hang out with people who knew, and Jared noticed Jensen had started spending a lot more time talking on the phone with or emailing his family.

The spring semester was much busier than the fall had been. He was finally starting to really get into the core classes for his degree, and, while he was really interested in the subject, it was also very challenging. The second semester of his economics class was proving to be a lot more difficult than the first, but at least he was done with Chemistry.

The week before spring break, he came home after work to find Jensen bundled under the blankets in bed, sound asleep. As quietly as he could, Jared set his keys and wallet on the bedside table, toed off his shoes, removed his clothes, and climbed into bed. His hands were cold, and Jensen flinched away a little before relaxing back against him.

Pressing a kiss against the nape of Jensen’s neck, he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him back against his chest, spooning him. Jensen sighed a little and tangled one of their hands together.

“Hey.”

“The exam go well?” Jared asked, pressing his lips to the shell of Jensen’s ear.

Jensen turned his head a bit and Jared caught the lobe between his teeth. “S’fine. I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

“You didn’t come to bed until after three,” Jared acknowledged, squeezing Jensen slightly.

“Sorry if I kept you up,” Jensen said and lifted their joined hands to press a kiss to Jared’s knuckles. “Just wanted to make sure I got it all memorized.”

“Nah,” Jared shook his head, nuzzling against Jensen’s hair. “You didn’t keep me up, not really. I had a lot on my mind.”

“Your Mom?”

“Yeah. She wants me to go on some special cruise thing this summer. I think she’s going to insist on it.” He sighed. “I’m just so frustrated with her. I don’t even want to answer the phone when she calls anymore.”

“Have you tried talking with her and maybe convincing her to lay off trying to force it?” Jensen turned in his arms so he could look him in the eye. “Did you try quoting the Word?”

Jared leaned in and kissed him. “I’m not sure that would even help at this point. She’s kind of determined.”

“There’s always the ignoring her part?”

“I guess.” Jared bit his lip and looked down at their hands. He caught Jensen’s free hand with his own. “I just don’t want to hurt her. She’s my Mama.”

“Jared,” Jensen began, trying to figure out how to say this so it wouldn’t upset his mate. It was something he’d wanted to say for over a year, ever since he’d realized exactly how invested in Jared finding a mate his mother was, even from over a thousand miles away. “Your Mom is always going to be your Mom, but you are an adult now. There comes a point when you just need to stand up, stop making excuses, and tell her no.”

“But—”

He was cut off by Jensen’s lips pressing against his own, effectively silencing him. “I love you, Jared. And I’ve been watching, _feeling_ , what every phone call for the past year and a half has been like for you. You need to make her stop, and the only way that’s going to happen is if you stand up and tell her that you’re tired of it.”

While he knew that what Jensen was saying made sense, it didn’t mean the idea was all that appealing to him. His mother had been there his entire life, poking and prodding him in the right direction. He’d only put her off a few times, and all those had to do with work or school more than anything else. Sighing, Jared nodded, leaned in, and kissed his mate.

Jensen was right. It was high time he did stand up for himself. In all his life he’d never just told his mother a clear cut _no_. He’d always negotiated or gotten someone to help him work around it, eventually ending up doing what his mother wanted him to do. The closest to rebellion he’d got was over the holidays and during the summer. Even when it had to do with his own mate, who she admittedly didn’t know about, he’d let her run his life.

Pulling back, he nodded. “You’re right. I don’t want to go on a cruise. Not one that you’re not with me for, anyway.”

“So what are you going to do?” Jensen asked, smiling tiredly at him.

“Well first,” Jared leaned in and kissed him again, nipping and sucking lightly at his bottom lip, “I’m going to have some fun doing what I _want_ to do.” He kissed Jensen again, this time sweeping his tongue into Jensen’s mouth and spending several long moments exploring, his tongue sweeping over Jensen’s palate and teeth, and caressing his tongue. After a while he pulled back and rested his forehead against his mate's smiling. “And then tomorrow I’m going to call my Mama and tell her no.” He pressed a quick kiss to Jensen’s lips. “No cruise.” Another kiss. “No more social events.” Another. “No more meet and greets.” And one more. “Just _no_.”

 

 **Epilogue**

 _Four Years Later_

 

Opening the door to their condo, Jared took in the scent of food cooking. He smiled and set his brief case down before leaning down to remove his shoes. They were nice work shoes, polished till they shined with only a couple scuff marks on the sides. His day had been busy, but good. Really good.

As he made his way towards their kitchen, a room that had been claimed by Jensen as his own the day after they moved in, his phone rang. Pulling it from his pocket, he eyed the display and sighed.

“Hey Mama,” Jared greeted her, pausing for moment to press a kiss against his mate’s lips.

“Jared!” His mother’s voice was practically hysterical. “Have you heard this utter nonsense all over the news and . . . everywhere?!”

He cringed, leaning against the wall as he watched Jensen hover over a skillet filled with stir fry. “Nonsense?”

“All this blasphemy about same-sex couples! It’s ridiculous! And—And I heard that company you work for is associated with it!”

“Mama,” Jared started, but she just continued talking over him. He waited another few seconds before trying again, “Mama!”

“What?” she finally paused.

“Mama . . . it’s,” he stopped, trying to figure out how to best put it into words. Eventually he just decided to go with being straight forward about it. “Mama, I mated.”

“Oh my—Oh, Jared!” Her tone immediately changed, and she seemed to forget everything that she’d just been ranting about. The excitement in her voice was nearly palpable. “When—Oh! I don’t want to hold you up! We’ll have to get the paper work started. Who is she—”

“Mama,” Jared interrupted her again, eyes meeting Jensen’s. He smiled, feeling a weight finally lift off his shoulders. “I took care of it already.”

“What do you mean? When did this happen . . . you haven’t been keeping this from me, have you? Is that why you haven’t called since—”

He sighed and switched the phone to his other ear. “No. I was busy with work. I didn’t tell you because I couldn’t.”

“Why—”

“Because of how you’d react. Considering how you just did, I wasn’t far off in my assumptions.” He continued on, before she could interrupt him, “I mated my freshman year of college, Mama. On my second day in the dorms. Jensen’s my mate.”

 


End file.
